Celadon's New Blossom
by Usagi-Hasano
Summary: It can often take one change to cause the events of a person's life to go a different direction. In this case, the question to be asked is "What if Ash managed to get to his battle with Erika before the disguise was figured out?"
1. Chapter 1

Celadon's New Blossom

Author's Note: So it's been around five years since I have even touched a fanfic. This story came about due to a series of drawings I was doing that spawned from a vague idea I initially had. As I worked more and more on the drawings, I found myself interested in actually writing a story to accompany the art and to string it all together. Who knows. As I deal with this, I might get more interest in getting back to my older stories. I do feel kind of bad for tossing them to the wayside.

Chapter 1

Ash could feel a bead of sweat roll down his cheek as he looked around nervously. He had to admit, the interior of the Celadon City Gym wasn't all that bad. It was like a miniature forest with plethora of different flora, ranging from flowering plants to tall trees. He could even see many different grass type Pokemon frolicking around and enjoying their time. The air around him was a bit musty and humid, perfect for a greenhouse.

It wasn't the humidity that caused the young Pokemon master to be to sweat, though. It was his current predicament. Here he was, standing in what was clearly the most embarrassing outfit ever and catching the tail end of a story He really wasn't sure what it was about, because he wasn't focusing on that. What he was focusing on was the one reading the book. Erika, the Gym Leader of the Celadon City Gym and the one he was trying to challenge.

It still annoyed him to think that he was banned from even getting close to the gym just because he voiced his dislike of a bunch of smelly perfume. Just because the girls here owned that shop and banned him from there did not give them any right to ban him from the GYM itself. That was just unfair and cruel. He could still feel the spot where they stamped a big fat X on his face.

Thankfully, a solution seemed to have come from the latest confrontation with Team Rocket, who he had found tied hanging from a tree. He wasn't really sure why they were interested in helping him get in exactly, but it was likely due to some scheme of their own. However, Ash's mind had been blinded by irrationality the moment the trio started talking to him about his need for more badges, and their taunting of him not getting in. This left him susceptible to helping them.

The next thing he knew, the trio took him to the giant department store that loomed over many of the other buildings in the city. He had wondered just what kind of stuff he could find in the place, but didn't get the chance to. Maybe he would check it out a little more after getting his badge.

That trip to the department store was what led Ash to his current predicament; dressed as a cute little girl. The orange dress he was wearing bothered him a little due to just how flowy it was. The lack of pant legs made him feel naked, not to mention the bloomers he was forced to wear – white with a cute bear head on them – were completely alien to him and left him feeling more embarrassed than he thought possible.

Faintly reaching up, Ash brushed a hand through the long blonde locks atop his head. In addition to the dress, he sported a rather lovely blonde wig. The bangs tickled his cheeks and ears, and the length caused him to fidget a smidgen. He really wasn't sure how people could stand to have their hair long when it caused so many annoyances, not to mention how much more effort it likely took to deal with.

His plan – if it could even be called that when it was just something he thought about a moment ago – was to infiltrate the gym and instantly confront Erika, issuing a challenge before she could do anything else. That would have put the woman on the spot, since a Gym Leader turning away a challenge was frowned upon by the Pokemon League. Getting here was easy. Ash amazed himself with how well he could pull off acting like a girl and getting the other Gym Trainers to lead him here.

However, this was where things got tricky. For some reason, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu were around. If he had known they were coming here, he would have tried to sneak in with them. Surly Brock or Misty could have convinced the girls. As things were, he didn't want to reveal himself right now, because he was certain that Misty would never let him live this down. She would probably tease him about it any chance she got, and the young Pokemon trainer was almost certain she would try to find moments to dress him up in something embarrassing if she wanted.

His ego wouldn't allow for such a blemish, and so he decided to be more discreet about it. That was when, after Erika finished talking about her and Gloom, that a line was uttered by Misty.

"I wish Ash could have heard that story."

Ash opened his mouth. He wanted to say that he heard it, but caught himself in time and managed to prevent himself from blowing his cover. He briefly wondered what could have happened if he would had said anything. Maybe they would have thought she misheard the name 'Ash' as 'Ashley'. That's not something he wanted to risk, though. He had come too far to fail!

Gripping the front of his dress skirt, and holding a fist to his chin, he turned to Erika and brought forth his girl voice. "Ah, Erika!" His eyes sparkled in fake amazement. "I've heard so much about you, and you're super pretty."

"Why thank you young lady." Erika replied, smiling with her hands held in front of her in a demure fashion. "But I think you're very pretty yourself. I imagine you'll grow up to be a lovely young woman." She reached out and moved some blonde locks out of Ash's face. "I'm afraid that we haven't been formally introduced. You clearly know who I am, but I have no idea who you are."

Ash put forward a shy look. His cheeks tinged pink for a moment, mainly due to the embarrassment from what Erika had said. "I'm Ashley. I live near Celadon and wanted to enroll into your Pokemon trainer classes."

"Ashley?" Misty piped up, causing Ash's heart to skip a beat in worry. Would she blow his cover? Maybe he should have initially chosen a much different name. "We have a friend named Ash. You should meet him sometime." She considered for a second. "You know, I wonder if 'Ash' is actually short for 'Ashley'." Misty laughed at the thought. "I should call him that sometime~"

A deeper shade of pink was brought to Ash's cheeks at that. "Pi Pika!" And then another skip of a heart beat as Pikachu waved to him with a smile

Erika continued with that pleasant smile, causing Brock to make a comment about her being so mature and elegant. "So you would like to become a trainer of the gym? To learn more about the wonders of grass Pokemon, plants, and nature?" She received a nod. "Well, it would be an honor to have you join."

"Um..."

"Yes, Ashley? You can say whatever it is that you want to say."

This was his chance! "I want to go for gym badges sometime, and I was wondering if I could have a gym match with you, Erika!" Both fists balled at his chin, eyes sparkling. "It would mean so much to me!"

Erika laughed in return. "Oh my, I should have guessed that was something you'd probably want to do, huh?" She closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly. "It would be an honor to test out the skills of the newest member to my Gym."

A few minutes pass by as the two got ready for the match. This allowed Ash to take the moment to think. Would the battle cause his disguise to fail? Actually, how would he explain his badge win to Misty and the others? Not to mention he couldn't use Pikachu at the moment.

"You can do it, Ashley!" Misty cheered off to the side. "Don't be too nervous and do your best!"

"Pika!"

"Yeah, all that matters is that you did as well as you could." Brock added as several of the girls cheered on Erika. Though some did seem supportive of the 'new girl'.

Erika finally piped up, pulling out a Pokeball. "We'll each use three Pokemon, Ashley." She had briefly wondered about the Pokemon to use. Gym Leaders typically had different sets of Pokemon on hand to use depending on the skill level of the challenging trainer they were facing. Erika had been so excited to have a new member to her gym that she had forgotten to ask about Ashley's skill level. After some thought, she realized that testing the girl was the best option.

"Alright~" Ash let out in a sing-song voice. Should he use his own grass type? It'd be super awesome and cool to defeat a Gym Leader with their own type, and he definitely loved appearing cool and awesome. However, he also wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. As such, the best possible choice for this would be a fire type. "Go Charmander~"

Brock nodded, hand on his chin as he watched "Ah, so she must have chosen Charmander as her starter Pokemon."

"That's a really good choice to make." Misty added.

Charmander popped out of his Pokeball and gave a quick pose. "Char!" He was feeling ready for battle at the moment. Looking back, he was about ready to give a nod to Ash when he couldn't help but blink and stare. "Cha?" It was definitely his trainer, but why was he dressed like a girl? Admittedly, he did look cute in the getup, but that was beside the point.

Ash noted the reaction from Charmander and couldn't help but sweat. He hadn't thought about this part at all. "I'll explain later. I'm in disguise" He whispered quickly. "Just play a long with it for the moment, okay."

The fire lizard Pokemon nodded, honestly wondered just what was going on. Looking to the side, he noted Pikachu on the sidelines and was about to wave, but was unsure if he should or not.

"An important rule for all trainers, Ashley," Erika's voice piped up "is that just because you might have a type advantage, it doesn't always mean you will win. Experience, strategy, and empathy with your Pokemon also matter, which is something that you will learn here at the Celadon Gym. Tangela, go!" And with that, she lobbed her Pokeball, releasing the vine covered monster.

"You're so wise and smart, Erika!" Ash giggled out. This was so embarrassing. After today, he never wanted to do anything like this again. Noting Tangela, he quickly pulled out his Pokedex to scan it and learn a little more about it. This should be easy. "Charmander, use Flamethrower from this distance!" Keeping away was the best strategy.

"Char!" A stream of flames was unleashed from the lizard's mouth that shot directly towards the opposing Pokemon.

Much to Ash's dismay, Tangela managed to dodge the flamethrower with ridiculous ease. "Show them your vine whip, Tangela!" Several vines quickly shot out of the Pokemon in question and slammed against Charmander before Ash could order a dodge!

"Charmander!" It was very slight, but he lost control of his voice. Nobody seemed to notice this, except for Pikachu, whose ears perked up and caused him to look at Ashley and study the girl's face a little more closely. Could it be?

"Pikapi." The electric mouse softly said, wondering why his trainer and best bud was dressed like that.

Charmander wobbled on his feet after the barrage of vines, but managed to still stand strong. He let out a small puff of smoke from his nose and looked ready to go. "Charmander, use Leer." With that, Charmander glared at Tangela, eyes glowing.

Tangela sweated a bit as its body glowed faintly in response, causing it to stumble for a moment.

"That should do it. Now, Skullbash!"

Charmander shot forward directly at Tangela, landing a direct hit on the seaweed-like Pokemon.

Erika, however, let out one of her smiles, which filled Ash with a bit of worry. "That was some lovely strategy, Ashley. However, you made a bit of a costly mistake. Tangela, use your vines to bind Charmander!"

"Taaaa!" Tangela's vines shot out, grabbing Charmander by the arms and legs and holding him up.

Ash's heart sank for a moment, leading to a bit of panic. "Use Flamethrower!" He was up close, so surely it would cause more damage, as well as be impossible to dodge in this situation.

"I won't let you do that, Ashley." Erika placed a hand to her chest. "Tangela, show them the power of your Energy Ball."

As Charmander opened his mouth to let out some more flames, Tangela met him with a quick, point blank energy ball that sent the fire Pokemon flying backwards and skidding towards Ash, who was quickly by his side.

"Charmander, are you alright?!" He asked with worry, receiving a weak smile from his Pokemon. "Maybe you should rest. You did your best." He gave a sad smile as he recalled Charmander back into the Pokeball. The latter of the two seemed a bit disappointed that he let his trainer down.

Ash stood back up, looking a lot more unsure of himself at the moment. A fire type should have made this battle a lot easier. Was there really this much of a gap between them? No, he refused to believe that he couldn't win this.

"You did well with Charmander, Ashley." Erika smiled in a comforting manner. "Just look at each loss as a learning experience. Your problem was that you rushed head long into using a physical attack. Granted, Leer and then Skull Bash was indeed a good strategy. You show potential, and I would be happy to help nurture that."

"I- Thank you, Miss Erika." Ash's cheeks tinged some at the compliment as his lips spread into a smile. He just got praise about his skill from a Gym Leader. He couldn't lose this now. Who would he use next, though? Primeape? No... that would give him away even more, not to mention he didn't feel like having a fist to his face. Bulbasaur and Squirtle would give him away as well. The next best choice was Pidgeotto, who also had an advantage over grass.

He pulled out a Pokeball and was about to continue when a familiar voice came from above.

"Motivational and heartwarming, but what is that smell?"

'Oh no, not now. I don't want to deal with them right now!' Ash thought, looking up to see the Rocket Trio in the midst of their motto. It was a complete mistake to agree to their help. What were they even doing here anyway? What- wait, was that a detonator they were carrying?

And then the explosion.

oooooooooo

"How could she have just gone in there like that?!" Misty let out as she stared worriedly at the burning Celadon Gym. "I know she was worried about Gloom, but doing that was too dangerous!" Maybe if she had more water Pokemon with her, she could have helped more in the situation. She also wondered where Ash was. If he was there, he could have used his Squirtle along with Ashley's.

Erika seemed worried as well, both for Ashley and because her precious Gloom was trapped inside as well. How could she have missed it? Not to mention the newest addition to her gym was risking her life to help her. "I just hope their both okay."

"I'm sure they are!" Brock stated, though he had a frown himself. "Team Rocket really caused a huge problem this time."

Pikachu's ears perked. "Pikapi!" He let out in excitement, and everybody looked to see a figure running out of the fire, carrying what was clearly a gloom!

Misty was excited, but noticed – to her horror – that Ashley's hair was on fire. She was about to yell out about it when she watched as the hair fell right off of the girl's head, and a familiar hairstyle she was used to seeing sprang to life. "... Ash?"

"... well that explains the shyness." It was honestly all Brock could bring himself to say. He was trying to figure just why in the world his friend would dress as a girl to challenge Erika.

The woman in question, meanwhile, only vaguely registered this as she rushed up and grabbed Gloom into her arms, hugging it for dear life. "Gloom! Your safe! Oh thank you Ashley, thank you so much! However that was very reckless young lady, and we're going to- wait a second." Erika halted in her admonishment to take a closer look. "You're that boy! Why were you dressed up like that? A hint of disappointment filled her. She had actually looked forward to getting to know Ashley better and help her improve as a trainer. Briefly, she couldn't help but think that he looked cute in that dress, and the wig made him a convincing girl.

"... I can explain." Ash responded, blushing furiously at all the looks he was getting. Maybe he should have revealed himself earlier.

"Pika!" Pikachu leaped up onto his trainer's shoulders and happily nuzzled his cheek, causing Ash to laugh some and pet him on the head.

Erika crossed her arms as she stared down at Ash. They had all moved to a smaller greenhouse area to talk in private. As Ash explained the reasoning for his disguise, she couldn't help but frown. "So what your saying is that you're partially responsible for Team Rocket infiltrating the gym, stealing a formula, and causing a fire that damaged a good deal of the greenery in the gym, putting a lot of Pokemon at risk in the process."

Ash's mouth opened and closed in surprise. He was still in the outfit minus the wig, not having had the time to change out of it. "I... I didn't know this would happen! I just wanted to get into the Gym."

"You're still partially responsible for the damages that have occurred to my gym, young man, and the authorities would agree on that if I told them. You'd be in a lot of trouble if that were to happen." She watched his face, noting the various shades of distress and worry.

"Wh- But I'm sorry! I didn't mean for it to happen. I just wanted a gym match and my badge!" Ash's face took on an annoyed look. "It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't banned me from the Gym just because I insulted the perfumes at your shop. What was I supposed to do? It was unfair to refuse a challenger because of that!"

This caused Erika to stall. Admittedly, she was at some fault for acting like that. "You... are correct, Ash. I did fail a bit in my job as a Gym Leader." Realizing that made her feel angry at herself for allowing her judgment to be clouded by such a petty thing. It was basically a failure in her duties and towards a potential new trainer.

She proceeded to give a bow. "I am deeply sorry for turning you away, Ash. It's not something that I should have done. Can you find it in your heart to forgive this young woman for her foolish behavior?"

This reaction blindsided Ash. He didn't think he would get an apology, much less one to this degree. "Well... fine, I can forgive you for that." He scratched his cheek, looking to the side at Misty, who was giggling a bit at his embarrassment. Brock looked a bit amused as well, but hid it better.

"So... um, does this mean we won't tell the authorities?" He didn't want to get in that kind of trouble over this. He didn't know if it would cause an issue in his goal of being a trainer. It would delay getting his badges... especially the Celadon Badge. There was also the little issue of his mother potentially finding out, and he really didn't want that. "I really need to win that badge..."

Erika observed Ash for a few moments in silence as she thought. There was definitely a deal of potential in the boy in front of her, but he was immature, pigheaded, single-minded, and a host of other things. She felt an incredibly strong desire to nurture that potential and help the boy mature. However, the population of the Celadon Gym was female, mostly due to the fact that she taught subjects like flower arranging and tea ceremony, as well as the fact that she only knew how to guide and raise female trainers.

Her eyes settled on the dress and shoes that Ash was wearing. He looked cute in it, and with that wig he had one, easily passed for a girl. 'Wait a moment.' She thought suddenly, as an idea came to her, an idea that tempted her greatly. An idea that would allow her to take this young boy and guide him to become a proper, mature trainer, as well as to teach him responsibility for his actions.

"We won't tell the authorities." She saw the relief flash across his face. "However," the relief gone "there is still the matter of the fact that you had a hand in inadvertently causing a horrible amount of damage to the gym, as well as allowing a formula to be stolen. Burnt items need to be replaced, plants need to be replanted. You need to take responsibility for your part in all of this."

Ash was silent for a moment. "I... don't have much money on me right now." Besides, he still needed to-

"That's for sure. You still owe me for my bike, Ash."

Yeah, that...

"Hrm? What's this about a bike?" Erika asked, tapping her chin in thought. As the story of the bike incident was being told to her, her inner self was waving around a victory flag. Oh, this was even more delicious. "My my, you do need to learn about being responsible for your actions, don't you?" Clearing her throat, Erika continued. "But at this moment, I'm not talking about a matter of money."

"You're not? Then...?" Where was this going, Ash wondered.

"In order for you to pay back what you have done, you are going to stick around the Celadon Gym. You are going to help replant things and fix up the place. As you do this, I may help you improve on your battling and knowledge. Just imagine it, a Gym Leader actively helping you get better." She could see the gears turning in Ash's head. "And you'd get various chances to win the Rainbow Badge in the process."

"That doesn't sound too bad! I'll do it!"

Erika placed her hands on her hips. "However, there is one rather minor condition that you must abide by."

A blink of confusion. "What's that? It's probably not all that hard a condition. I'm gonna become a Pokemon master, so I can handle anything." A facepalm from Brock, Misty, and Pikachu.

'Hook, line, and sinker' Erika thought as she pulled out something. "You see, Ash, this gym only recruits female members due to various activities that go on, as well as the fact that I am most comfortable dealing with other girls, and understand them better." She puts the item on Ash's head, which turned out to be the bow that had been attached to the now destroyed wig. "Not to mention that you are actually already registered as a member of the gym already."

Ash basically froze on the spot, eyes wide as he stared at Erika. "Wh- you don't mean..." He saw Misty outright bust up laughing over his plight. "No way, I'm not doing it. There's no way you can make me!"

"So you don't want special training to become a better trainer, and multiple chances and priority in re-challenging me for my badge? Just think about it, you would be able to learn my secrets, and maybe even figure out strategies to try and overcome them. All you have to do is deal with some girly things." A smile. "I'm sure a Pokemon Master to be could handle such small things, yes?"

Ash erks at hearing that. Chances to learn a Gym Leader's tricks and strategies to use against them? Free training from a Gym Leader? Also, he WAS a Pokemon Master to be, and could definitely easily handle that. Not to mention he needed the badge. She basically had him by a rope.

"Fine, I'll do it. It can't be all that hard."

"Welcome to the Celadon City Pokemon Gym, Ashley~"


	2. A Hairy Development

Celadon's New Blossom 2

"Where are we even going?" Ash asked with a hint of wariness as he followed behind Erika, who was walking at a brisk pace before him. The Gym Leader was accompanied by two of the girls from the gym, who seemed to be a little more amused than they should be. Following him was Misty and Brock.

Erika turned her head briefly to look at him. "Well, there is one thing we must do at this moment if we are going to go through with you spending your time like a girl. While you do look like a young, tomboyish girl right now from afar, if someone were to spend even a moment before you, the truth would be revealed in an instant." Her eyes raised to look from the child's eyes to his messy black hair.

"Whaddaya mean by that?" He didn't quite understand what Erika was getting at. He was still in the orange dress from his Ashley disguise. His red mary-jane shoes clicked against the ground as he walked. Briefly, he felt Pikachu place a hand on the big pink ribbon attached to his hair; the ribbon being the only article left from the now destroyed blonde wig he had worn. "What will better the disguise?"

Misty rolled her eyes. "You can be so dense sometime, Ash."

"What was that?" He stopped and turned towards Misty, forgetting his embarrassment for the moment in favor of his wounded ego. "If you're so smart, then how about you tell me?"

"It doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

"That's good, because then you'd never figure it out yourself!"

"What?!"

"You heard me! I bet- hey!"

Brock held the both of them apart. "Okay you two, break it up. You're making a scene here." He had to sigh a bit. Whenever Ash and Misty got into a bickering mood, it ended up being so childish.

Pikachu nodded. "Pika! Pikapi, Pikachu-pi!"

Both kids stopped, blushing at the scene they were making and turned there heads with a 'hrmph', leading Erika to raise an eyebrow and look towards Brock. "Is this a common thing for them?"

"Yeah, they can be like oil and water sometimes." The Ground Pokemon trainer laughed a bit, rubbing the back of his head. "But most of the time they can get along fine."

"Pi..." Pikachu lets out a small sigh as he raised his arms in a 'that's how it is' gesture.

Erika nods a little, taking that into consideration. "I see. Well, we should get going. No need to delay this any further, yes?"

The group continued on in silence until they eventually came to a building that had a few women and even some men milling about it. The building itself was moderately sized with a very streamlined and modern black exterior. Large windows and glass doors allowed one to look inside. On the windows were various posters of people with different hairstyles. Displayed in the window were a plethora of different shampoos and conditioners. Above the entryway was a lighted up sign with the words 'Blooming Beauty Salon'

Immediately, Ash realized just what Erika was talking about a few moments prior, and his hands shot up and grabbed hold of his head. "You can't be serious! There is absolutely no way in hell I'm going to agree with this!" Who knows just what would happen to his hair in there.

"So you don't want special training from a Gym Leader?" Erika looked directly at him with a questioning look. "I thought you said that you could easily handle such a 'simple thing'? All you need to do is get a different hairstyle to help the image become complete."

"Why can't I just have another wig?"

Erika waved a hand. "Wigs are perfectly fine and can be positively lovely, but they can be easily taken off or lost, which would only become embarrassing in public. This way is safer. I know the owner of this place, and she seemed rather thrilled to deal with your hair when I contacted her before we left."

"Ooooooh," Misty let out, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the salon. "I so wish I could get a makeover. You're so lucky to have some connections to get one, Ash!" It was a bit unfair, though, that a boy was getting one. "You can't pass this chance up! You have a Gym Leader taking time out of what is probably a busy schedule to take you to do something like this without you having to pay."

"I'm paying with my dignity and manliness." Ash grumbled, poking at his dress skirt. He could feel Pikachu nuzzle the top of his head in a comforting manner. Reaching up, he gently stroked his Pokemon's ear, resulting in a happy 'chaaaaaa', not hearing Misty's mumbling of 'not calling boyish brattiness manliness'

Thinking, he grabbed Pikachu off of his head and held him out before him. "... what do you think, Buddy? Can I really do this? Is it honestly worth it?" The electric mouse was his best friend, and probably the only one he could truly turn to in a time like this.

Pikachu looked directly at his trainer, and could tell just how conflicted he was about the whole ordeal. He knew that Ash didn't want to go through with this at all, and that the boy was honestly scared, even if he didn't want to admit it.

However, at the same time, Erika's offer seemed to be a chance of a life time. It sounded like it would allow the both of them to rise up beyond their current level, and allow them to be better prepared for the opponents ahead of them. He could tell that despite the most obvious issue of having to appear as a girl, Ash wanted this more than anything at the moment, and that if he passed it up, he would likely constantly kick himself for it.

Deciding on his answer to the conflicted and distraught boy, Pikachu gave him a determined look and smile. Raising his little fist, he held it upwards and nodded while uttering one thing.

"Pi!"

A smile spread across Ash's lips. "Yeah, you're right! I should do this with my head held high. Walk in confident like a Pokemon Master would!" His nostrils flared as he set Pikachu back on his head and turned towards Erika. "Let's get this over with so I can get that training!" He could handle anything.

'Those two have quite the bond.' Erika thought as she observed the interaction between the two. To look towards someone's own Pokemon to make such a big decision for them was definitely a sign of great empathy. "Well then, let us enter beyond the glass doors, Ashley." She motioned, holding open one of the doors.

The inside of the salon was well maintained. Near the front were various racks of hair and skin care products. Photos and posters lined the walls, and the waiting room consisted of several simple metal chairs and a magazine rack. As they made their way to the front desk, Ash scrunched up his nose due to the various smells of care products hitting him. He kept his mouth shut, however, because he feared that a repeat of the perfume shop could wind up happening.

He watched as Erika spoke to the woman at the counter, but allowed his vision to wander as he looked at the different customers. Some were getting their hair done, and some were getting facials or nails done. There were even massage areas. A few women in the waiting room were looking directly at him, and most likely his hair. One even made her way over to him, causing Ash to blush in embarrassment as he remembered what he was wearing.

"Oh my, child, look at your HAIR. Just what have you been doing to cause such a mess. How does it even get like that? No wonder your visiting the salon." She pats his head. "It's so stiff, too. No girl should ever have to deal with something like this."

Ash opened his mouth to speak, switching to his 'girl voice' out of desire to keep at least some sense of dignity. "Ah... I've always worn a hat, but I recently joined Miss Erika's gym, and-"

"You noticed how pretty all the other girls' hair is and decided that it was time for you to blossom?" The woman asked, clearly finding it admirable.

"Ah yes, we've all been traveling around a bit, you see." Brock interrupted, standing before the woman with a blush on his cheeks and a hand to his chest. "I consider her to be like a little sister to me, and could tell that she dreamed of being a little more girly, which is why I suggested going to Erika." He gave a toothy grin. "But enough about that. How about we catch a meal later? My treat?"

Ash sighed in relief, glad that Brock was there to grab attention from him. He gave a brief glare to a snickering Misty.

"I'm sorry, but you're too young for my tastes." The woman answered, giving a bit of a laugh before turning to Ash. "Well, I must be leaving, but I do hope I get to see you again later after this place has made you blossom. What is your name?"

"Ashley." He watched Brock look dejected.

"A cute name." The woman said as she turned and left.

"Erika~! It's nice to see you tonight!" Ash turned around at the sudden voice, to see a woman in her 20's with rather short, cropped blonde hair. Her bangs were longer, reaching down to her shoulders and dyed black. The outfit she wore consisted of a simple black bolero jacket and red dress with black belt. A pair of. White stockings encased her legs, and her feet were covered by a pair of rather nice laced heeled boots.

"Evening Akahana." Erika smiled, reaching and grabbing Ash by the arm to pull him closer. "I'm sorry if my request occurred at such an inopportune time."

Akahana waved a hand. "Nonsense, we're still open for another two hours." Her eyes trailed down to look at the fidgeting Ash. "So this is the one you were talking about?" She had a hand on her hip as she examined him. "I can see the problem at hand and why you wanted to get this done so quickly."

"I don't think my hair is that much of a problem." Ash muttered. It was never an issue to him. Granted, he wore his hat all of the time, and it did cause quite the amount of messy hat hair, but he thought it showed character. He yelped as Akahana grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him with her deeper into the Salon. Much to his dismay, Pikachu had been plucked from his head by Erika, leaving him without a comfort zone.

"It's probably best that Pikachu waits here. We don't want him accidentally distracting Akahana from her work, after all." Erika said, looking down at the pouting Pikachu. She then offered him to Misty, who the Electric Mouse then nuzzled into.

Brock chose this moment to address Erika. "Are you honestly sure this is okay? It seems a bit extreme." He knew that he could never handle the idea of having to go through something like this, and was feeling sorry for his friend. "I know you want to have him take responsibility for his part in what happened, but isn't there another way?"

Erika was silent for a moment, thinking that over. "You aren't wrong, Brock. I do agree that this is such an earth shattering thing to go through for a young boy like him, and that it likely smashes against his pride and ego, but that's something I want to work with."

She smiles. "I see potential in Ash and want to help him reach that potential, as well as help him grow as a person. Of course, it may also be that I ended up becoming attached to 'Ashley' as well, even if I only knew 'her' for a brief moment." Erika hrms in thought. It was rather selfish, and she did feel a pang of guilt for going this far. However, things have come to the point where it was impossible to back out now.

"It's nice to know he has good friends that care for him, especially two friends who are fellow gym leaders. Clearly that boy has some kind of quality to him that allows him pull others towards him, even if he is immature and brash." She pauses. "I'd like to continue talking to the both of you later. I'd especially like ask about how your sisters are doing, Misty. I haven't spoken to either of them in a while."

"I'd rather not talk about them." The younger girl muttered with a huff, scratching Pikachu's ear.

With a brief giggle, Erika turned and made her way towards the direction that Akahana and Ash left in. It only took her a moment to reach her destination, where she saw Ash sitting in a salon chair and looking rather nervous. Akahana spent the time gaining some necessary supplies. The finishing touch was placing some covering below Ash's neck.

"So how are things going?"

Ash stared at her. "Nervously." came the deadpan reply.

"That's how many first time trips to a salon can be, hon." Akahana played with the young boy's hair, tsking. "More people really should learn to take care of their hair better. It's such an important thing. Taking come, she runs it through his hair, where it pulls a bit here and there. "Look at all the tangles!"

Ash winces at each pull. "Hey, I just don't think about it, okay? Not like it's that important to my goal."

"And what is your goal?"

"To become a Pokemon Master. I'm gonna become the greatest trainer and catch every Pokemon!" He declared with pride.

He received a raised eyebrow from Akahana. "Pokemon Master? Many people have stated such a goal. It's a long and hard road, full of uncertainty. Many fail to become known in this world, and are forced to quit. One must have a true unyielding spirit to handle all of that." Another tug, and then some application of hair softener, causing Ash to shiver at the feeling.

"And catch every Pokemon? Young man, do you have any idea just how many Pokemon there are in this world?"

"Um... I know there's quite a few."

"More than quite a few. Personally, I feel it's best to just focus on getting to know the ones you do have. If you did catch every Pokemon, then how would some of them feel to not be able to spend enough time with you? How would you even take the time to get to know each and every one and form a bond?"

Opening his mouth to speak, Ash found that he couldn't think of a reply at the moment. He liked each of his Pokemon... even Primape. Though he never really thought more beyond 'catch all of the Pokemon'. His thoughts were broken when he felt his head tipped backwards to a sink, water starting to cascade over his hair.

"So tell me, Ash, where are you from?" This was one of the parts Akahana enjoyed the most; getting to know more about her clients. It was always fascinating to learn about the lives and exploits of others.

"Huh? Oh, I'm from Pallet Town."

"Pallet? My my, the home town of Prof. Oak." She proceeds to massage Ash's head, the boy actually finding it rather relaxing. "Any family back home?"

"My mother." He kind of missed her right now.

"Is she a Pokemon trainer as well?"

"Nah, mom owns and runs the only restaurant in Pallet, Pallet House." He said this with some pride. His mom owning a restaurant allowed him to meet a lot of really neat trainers and travelers as he grew up. "She inherited it from grandma."

Akahana gave a quick 'oh' at that. "I've eaten there before. It's a rather quaint place." Hrming, she continues with Ash's hair, finishing with just washing it. Unbeknownst to the boy, she reaches over for a bottle of hair dye. "So she never expressed any interest in Pokemon?"

"Well... she did. She used to be a student of Prof. Oak's. She's told me before that she used to want to be both a model and a trainer." His voice became a bit subdued. "But she ended up having to give up those dreams in order to run the restaurant, not to mention raising me after I was born."

"What about your father?"

He gave a tiny shrug. "Never knew him. He left home to go on a Pokemon journey right after I was born." He had absolutely no attachment to the man, so he really didn't feel anything on the matter.

"That's a shame, but it's not uncommon for that kind of thing to happen."

Soon, Ash would feel his hair dried, allowing him to lift his head. His hair felt... really off and kind of weird. Reaching up and patting it, he was surprised to note that it felt really straight, not to mention soft and silky. It wasn't even like it was his hair any more.

"Well now, let's turn you around so you can see the new you~" Akahana sing-songed as she spun the chair around, allowing Ash to finally look himself in a mirror. What he saw caused him to go absolutely silent.

His familiar, spiky black hair was no longer. It was now an obvious blonde, similar to the wig he had worn earlier. The style, however, was different. It was a rather short hime-style cut with cheek-length side locks. The back of his hair managed to end just a little above his shoulders.

"There wasn't too much to work with, but you definitely had enough hair to do something amazing with." Akahana laughed. "Who knew that such messy and spiky hair could hide such possibilities, hm?"

Ash tried to speak, but now words came out. He just sat there for what felt like an eternity. Finally, he spoke. "I... I don't know what I thought would happen. Why am I blonde?!" He would have preferred to keep his black hair.

Erika finally spoke up. "Well, I happened to like the blonde hair that Ashley had, and it honestly does look good on you. The Ashley that registered for my gym was blonde, and so I figured a little consistency was needed." She watched as Akahana removed the sheet from Ash and helped him stand up, fixing the pink bow back into his hair. "Can you honestly look at yourself and tell me that it doesn't look positively perfect?"

Biting his lip, Ash stared at himself. He hated this. It was so embarrassing. He completely looked really girly now, and he didn't even have the assurance of wearing a wig any more. This was his actual hair right now.

Still, he found it impossible to deny that the reflection staring back at him was cute, and did look like a very convincing young girl. "Well... no. I mean, it does look really amazing, and I guess I do look good." He could do this. It was worth it. He made the decision, and it was impossible to back out now. He was going to get training from a gym leader. He was going to get advanced learning. He was going to be amazing. He'll show Gary.

At that moment, it occurred to him. What did Gary have? Sure, Oak's grandson had some skill and was ahead of him, but all he had was a bunch of cheerleaders. Gary didn't have any Gym Leader as a tutor or anything like that. He, on the other hand, did, and it meant that he was finally going to be a step – maybe even more – ahead of the jerk.

Eventually returning back to the others, Ash found himself hounded with questions and comments by Misty about his new look.

"Look at your hair! It's so cute! How's it feel? It's so soft! It smells so good, too, like vanilla!" She poked and prodded at his hair, gushing over and over, commenting about how she should try and get her hair done here as well.

Pikachu hopped onto his trainer's shoulders, surprised at how different the hair looked. It really was soft, and smelled really nice. "Pikapi, chupi pi!" He had to admit that Ash looked cute right now. He lifted an arm and gave Ash a thumbs up.

"Thanks, pal" Ash said, smiling to his Pokemon, and wiggling as Misty poked and prodded him. "Will you knock that off?!"

Brock, meanwhile, attempted to woo Akahana. "You're really amazing. Do you think we could have dinner sometime, my treat?" He blushed a bit as the woman patted him on the head.

"Sorry cutie, too young."

Broke felt himself deflate as he nodded dejectedly.

"Sorry, 'Ashley', I couldn't help myself." Misty laughed out. "Who knew you could clean up so nicely, huh?"

"I guess one of us has to." This earned him a glare, but the glare turned into a smirk. "... what?"

"I'm sure you'll look lovely dressed in a kimono for learning tea ceremony and flower arranging, Ashley, because that _is_ something that Erika teaches as well."

"What-"

"That's right, Ashley." Erika stepped next to him. "In addition to Pokemon training, you will be taking part in classes on tea ceremony and flower arrangement. Gardening is also something you will learn, among various other activities."

"But I just want the Pokemon training!"

"Pokemon training is important, yes, but everything else will also help you to become a better person and trainer. You will learn discipline and detail, and gardening will lead to you being able to identify important plants as well."

Ash pouted. All of that stuff seemed so useless to him. He wasn't sure what he needed to learn discipline for just to train Pokemon. He was about ready to say something when one of the girls from the gym poked her head into the salon.

"Sorry to intrude, Erika, but there's an important phone call at the Pokemon Center for Ash." This caused the boy in question to blink in confusion.

"Who would be calling for me?" He couldn't think of anybody right now.

"She said she was your mother, and seemed worried because she heard about the Celadon Gym fire on the news."

"Oh, okay, I'll just-" Ash stopped, looking down at himself, and then reached upwards to feel his hair. Nonononono, he did NOT think about the possibility of having his mother find out about this. "I'm doooooooooooomed!"

Everybody was treated to the sight of what looked like a young girl waving her arms around in a panic.


	3. Mom's The Word

Celadon's New Blossom

A small group of people mulled around a video phone in the Pokemon Center. They were discussing something between them that seemed to be very important, if the slightly panicked voice coming from one of them was of any indication.

"Are you sure it's on right?" Ash asked as he poked and prodded at the hoodie he was wearing. The jacket was worn in a way that covered his hair and only allowed his face to be seen. It was also zipped up, obscuring the orange dress from view... as long as nobody looked at him from the waist down.

"For the 10th time, Ashley, yes." Erika's voice was reassuring, but with a hint of exasperation mixed in. "But we have to make sure that the hood doesn't mess up your hair. It'd be a shame to ruin such lovely locks."

The trainer tugged on his jacket again. He figured he probably looked ridiculous, what with how the dress was showing like it was. "My hair isn't the bigger problem right now. Well, it kinda is." He fidgets some more.

Misty placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ash, calm down. I'm sure this will go just fine. Besides, Erika is here, and I'm sure she would be able to help explain everything to your mother without incident." Having met the woman in person once, and been around when Ash had other phone conversations with her, Misty was certain that it would all turn out fine.

"Your mother is a mature, understanding woman." Brock added, placing a hand on Ash's other shoulder.

Pikachu nodded, being held in Ash's arm close to his chest. "Pi!"

The reassurance of his friends calmed him a bit, though he still felt butterflies in his stomach. "Alright... let's do this." He hands Pikachu to Misty and quickly dials up his home number. Almost instantly, the phone was picked up, and video of his mother popped up on screen. "Ah, hi mom."

"Ash!" Delia's face shifted to one of absolute relief upon being able to speak to her son. "I was so worried! I saw on the news just a little bit ago that there was a fire at the Celadon Gym, and I remembered you saying you were near Celadon the last time we talked. Were you anywhere near the fire when it happened?"

Ash was a bit reluctant to admit it, since it'd worry his mother even more. "Well... I was in the middle of my battle with the Gym Leader when the fire happened." Yep, there was definitely a look of horror flashing across his mother's features. "The fire was a result of those three from Team Rocket."

"Them again?" Delia asked, frowning. "They always seem to cause problems for you. So you were interrupted from your battle." She tilted her head, realizing something. "Is it chilly over there? Why are you all bundled up like that? Did you get hurt in the fire? Do you have a burn you're hiding from me?"

Before Ash could get a word in, Erika made her presence known. "Delia, was it? Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Erika, Gym Leader of the Celadon City Gym." She smiled serenely to the other woman.

Ash's mother managed to return the smile. "Ah, hello Erika. It's nice to meet you, and I'm sorry to hear about your gym."

"It's fine. The damaged happened, but like the plants that we raise, the Celadon Gym will quickly bloom again with a little work." She held a hand to her chest as she spoke these words, and Ash couldn't help but momentarily admire the woman's calm attitude in the face of having her gym damaged. "But there is something that I must speak to you about that concerns your son."

Delia showed confusion at the last bit, as well as the serious tone that Erika took on. "What is it? Did something actually happen to my baby?"

Feeling like pulling the hoodie over his even more, Ash blushed at being called his mother's 'baby'. He could hear Misty's snicker.

"Oh, no, Ash is perfectly fine and healthy. What I want to say is that Team Rocket managed to get your son to help them sneak into the gym. Admittedly, it was partially my fault for banning him from the gym just because he insulted the perfumes at my perfume shop. I regret my lack of thought in that regards." Erika bowed her head slightly. A woman of her stature should be above that kind of pettiness.

Delia looked towards her son sternly. "I hope you apologized for being rude and insulting, young man." She turned her head to look back at Erika. "It's a good thing to to be able to be mature and own up to your faults, Erika. However, what does-"

"This have to do with the current subject?" Erika finished. "Well, you see, since your son is partially responsible for allowing Team Rocket to sneak into the gym, steal some formula, and cause fire to the building, I felt that your son should work on repaying for his part in it all by helping at the gym and working off the damage."

"That sounds fair and a good way to build responsibility. I hope you see this as a learning experience to not fall in with a bad crowd, Ash." She looked at her son sternly.

"... yes mom."

"But wait," Delia piped up, thinking. "I remember learning that the Celadon Gym only had female members and workers. Oh my, my little Ash surrounded by so many girls." She giggled at the thought of her son being embarrassed around a bunch of girls.

"That, Miss Ketchum, is where we get to the heart of things." Reaching, Erika grabbed the top of the hoodie Ash wore and quickly but gently pulled it down, allowing for the boy's golden locks to flow freely from their confinement.

Ash could feel his heart almost stop, and a rush of butterflies overtake him as he stared at his mom's face, waiting for a reaction.

Delia was clearly taken aback by her son's hair. The face was still her little boy's, but the hair was completely alien and so unlike anything that her son ever had. It wasn't something that she ever thought she would see on her son of all people. Many thoughts played through her mind as she tried to find the right words to say, and everybody could see various emotions playing across her features.

Ash felt as if an eternity plus one had gone by as his mother thought. A gulp could be heard as he looked between Misty and Brock. Finally, after an agonizingly long time, his mother spoke.

"Oh my! Look at that hair. It's so lovely and so professional. Whoever did it must be an amazing stylist." The entire group practically deflated, all tension that had built up in that moment was lost. "Do you think that they could do something for me? Maybe I've been wearing my hair in this style for a little too long." She twiddles with her ponytail. "What do you think, Ash? Think your mother could do with a new look?"

"Th- that's not my decision to make, mom." Ash sighed out. It all wasn't over yet, but he felt a little less anxiety over speaking to his mother now. Hesitating, he unzipped the hoodie and removed it, showing off the orange dress.

"And that dress! That's a very nice dress. I can tell, even over the phone." His mom's eyes sparkled at the sight of it. "It goes well with your hair color too! Come on, give your mother a little twirl so that I can see the rest of it."

"Mom!" Ash let out, face now totally beet red. It didn't help that Misty and Brock, and even Pikachu, had burst out laughing. Erika herself was trying to hold in a giggle. "I'm not twirling; that's embarrassing."

It was his mother's turn to blush. "Oh, sorry honey. It's just the old model wannabe in me from my younger years seeing your look and falling in love with it." She clears her throat. "Still, I would like to know just what brought on this sudden look."

"I... well... Team Rocket managed to get me into the gym by having me disguise as their daughter, Ashley." Ash poked his fingers together. "The dress and bow are from that disguise. The wig burned up in the fire."

"What about your hair now?"

Erika answered. "That would be my doing, Miss Ketchum." She placed a hand on Ash's head. "You see, while in disguise, 'Ashley' here managed to get signed up for Pokemon trainer lessons at the gym. This is coupled by the fact that I had grown a little attached to 'her' in the short time I knew 'her'. I feel that 'Ashley' has some potential that could be brought out if under my care as a tutor."

"Oh my, personal tutoring and classes with a Gym Leader! That reminds me of when I was a student of Prof. Oak's."

"I also feel that many of the other activities that I can provide will also help shape your child into both and amazing trainer and well rounded individual." A pause. "Not to mention the whole female only aspect of my gym and that everyone would feel more comfortable with 'Ashley'."

Delia nodded at Erika's explanation. Ash was her son, and she knew that he was likely feeling absolute embarrassment right now, but realized that this was an amazing opportunity, and something that shouldn't be passed up. Not to mention her son did look adorable, and she wondered what he would look like in other outfits. "How long do you think this all will take? My son does have a journey he wants to continue on. I'm not sure he'd like to have it delayed."

"Hmm... that is a question, isn't it?" Erika considered the question. "To give you a proper answer, I have no idea how long it could take. Training, strategy, and improving ones' self is something that doesn't just instantly happen. There are many things that can be taught that could take months, even years."

"What? But what about my badges?" Ash whined. "And the Pokemon League?" He didn't want to be stuck here without any attempts at his dream.

"You can still try for your badges." The answer filled him with relieve. "However, this will be your... home base that you will return to after each badge. After all, even if you win a badge, there are still things that you can learn. Things that you saw in your battle that you may want to ponder more on. Learn from your battles and use what you experienced."

Ash nodded at that in thought. It did make sense. That means he could still go for badg- wait a minute. "If I'm going still be your student and all while going for my badges, then that means I'll still be..." He looks down at himself, and then poked his hair. Another thing he didn't think through!

"You'll do so as 'Ashley'." Erika finished, but this prompted a pause of her own. "Ash, hold out your Pokedex and activate the ID feature."

"Um... okay." Ash pulled out the device for Erika and pushed the ID function.

" _I'm Dexter, a Pokedex Programmed by Prof. Oak for Pokemon trainer Ash Ketchum of the town of Pallet..."_ The device also displayed an ID image of Ash on screen.

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"... Ash," Misty began slowly "if you are going to be 'Ashley', and your Pokedex is rigistered for 'Ash' and shows your image, then it means there could be big problems if asked for your ID or registration. That means-"

"You're going to need to get your Pokedex re-registered under your current name and appearance, sweetie." Delia finished, resulting in Ash freezing in place at the revelation. "It won't be that hard. We just need to let Prof. Oak know and he can register a new Pokedex for you that you could probably link up to your current one to keep the Pokemon data."

Ash's mouth opened and closed until sound came out. "Tell Prof. Oak? Do we have to? I mean, I know my ID matters, but..." he gulps, what would the professor think of his current status

"It will be alright, honey. Prof. Oak will probably understand. He has been around the bush and seen a lot of things, after all. You're also aware that he's a bit... eccentric I suppose you can say." She thinks. "Just think of yourself as a Kirlia. You may be dealing with being feminine in appearance, but you are still you, honey."

"Kirlia?" Ash asked as he looked down and checked his Pokedex to see what one was.

" _Kirlia, the Emotion Pokémon. Kirlia uses the horns on its head to amplify its Psychic powers, and when this occurs reality becomes warped, and future events can be seen."_

"I... guess. If a Pokemon can look really girly yet still be a guy, then maybe I can deal with it."

"Anyway, honey? I need to go. I need to get in contact with Prof. Oak and let him know." She received a nod from her son. "Also, I'm going to need a photo of your current look so that the professor can put it into your ID."

"I can help you with that." Erika pulled out a phone and aimed it at Ash. Before the target could protest, the picture was snapped. She and Delia proceeded to exchange some contact information to allow her to send it to the other woman.

"Oh, that reminds me! I think I still have some old clothes from my younger days. If you're going to be dressing in girl clothes, then I finally have some use for them again!" Granted, she never expected her son to wear such clothes, but to be able to see the clothing worn again after so long would be marvelous!

Ash nodded again, but froze, blushing as what his mother said registered. "Wait, mom-" It was too late, for his mother ended the call. "W- What just happened?"

"What happened is that soon enough, you'll have your own little wardrobe, Ashley." Misty laughed out, though she was feeling a bit envious of that. "Your mother said she used to want to be a model, right? Imagine all of those lovely clothes."

Sputtering for a brief spell, Ash managed to find his voice again. "Yeah, well, where would I even put them? They wouldn't fit in my backpack you know." Maybe he was safe. He didn't have space for those clothing.

"If Ash is going to be doing all of this..." Everybody turned to look at Brock. "Then doesn't that mean he's going to have to stay in Celadon and find a place to stay?"

"The Pokemon Center?" They did have rooms for trainers, though Ash wasn't sure if they offered long-term lodging.

"The answer is very simple." They then looked to Erika to continue. "Those who are part of the Celadon Gym who are not from around here, and choose to stay here, have access to special apartment complex dorms not too far from the gym."

"So then I'll be living in-"

"But to be honest, Ashley, while I am comfortable with things turning out just fine at the gym, I don't think having you live in female only dorms right now would be responsible on my part. I wouldn't be there to help in case you got into an embarrassing situation, because I can see many different scenarios play out in my mind that can only lead to complications for you from that."

Ash felt relieved that Erika was at least considerate about that part. "So where-"

"That's why you will be living with me. I'll be able to keep a closer eye on you, as well get you better associated with with your knowledge studies and life as a girl."

"With you? Knowledge studies?!" The Pokemon Master to be grimaced. "You mean I actually have to do schooling as well?!" School was never something that he really excelled in. He wasn't horrible, but he just never felt it was for him. He always figured he was going to be a Pokemon trainer, and since kids were able to choose between becoming a trainer and legally be considered an adult, or continue schooling and all of that boring stuff at the age of 10, he always knew that he was going to go for the former.

"Knowledge is power, Ashley. Now, let me show you to where you'll be staying."

"This is where you live?" Misty asked with a clear awe in her voice as she looked around. "It's so lovely and old fashioned!"

Erika's home was stationed near the outskirts of Celadon, and so it was surrounded by various groves of trees. The main property was surrounded by a stone fence, and the entry way consisted of large wooden doors. Once one stepped through those doors, they would see a traditional Japanese garden. A stone pathway cut through the area towards a small bridge built over a conjoined koi pond.

Koi fish and Goldeen splashed about in the pond as lily pads floated lazily upon the surface. Poliwags and regular frogs relaxed near the edge of the water. Sounds of nature, as well as the noticeable tune of a shishi-odoshi, could be heard surrounding the area.

Ash, for his part, couldn't help but look around in childish fancy as well. "Whoa, this is so cool and amazing! Look at all of the Pokemon!" He hopped over to the pond and stared down at the Goldeen, before then moving over to the Poliwag. "That's a Poliwag, isn't it?" He proceeds to take out his Pokedex and dex it.

" _Poliwag, the Tadpole Pokemon. Its newly grown legs prevent it from running. It appears to prefer swimming than trying to stand."_

"Ha ha, kinda silly to not have any arms."

One of the Poliwags glared at him and shot him with a stream of water, forcing him to be shot backwards. "Poli!"

"But it can still knock you down without much trouble, Ash." Brock deadpanned, shaking his head at the young boy's lack of tact. "As they said, Erika, this is an amazing place."

"Pikapi" Pikachu leans over the koi pond and stares on in, making a little small talk with a lotad.

"Thank you, Brock. My family was one of the first to settle around here a long time ago before it officially became Celadon." She motions towards the traditional Japanese style home that was present just a little beyond the bridge. "Many of the other homes have since been converted into what you see now in the city proper. Though there are still others who have managed to keep their old property."

Misty looked at her. "So then, you're from a really old and influential family?" That did make sense. Erika did carry herself with a kind of air that came from a woman raised in tradition and culture. "What about your family? Are they here?"

"Oh, no, my parents are away on business. Their jobs tend to keep them busy a lot, and so they're only occasionally able to visit back home." She led them across the bridge as Ash worked a little on drying himself off. She failed to notice Misty tense up as a Yanma flew passed her.

As they neared the building, someone was there to meet them. A young woman with pale skin and short black hair. She had long bangs that covered her right eye, though it was clear that her eyes were a nice shade of green. The outfit she wore was a black kimono with white accents. Over the kimono was a white apron, and upon her head a white frilled headband. "It's good to see that you are home, Miss Erika." She noted Ash and his friends. "Oh, you have visitors. Hello, it is good to have you." She bowed.

"Hisae, I would like you to meet Ashley, her Pikachu, Misty, and Brock. They're my guests, though Ashley will be staying with us as I help her." Erika turned her attention to the group. "Everyone, this is my maid, Hisae." There was a blush on Ash's face at the use of female pronouns.

Getting the greetings out of the way, the group entered the home. The inside looked about as traditional as the outside did. Though there were a few modern conveniences here and there. The living room was spacious, and there was the obvious low table, or chabudai, that was seen in many old fashioned homes. A little off to the side, however, was a collection of sofas sitting around a coffee table and facing a wall-mounted television.

"Huh... I was expecting a little less modern." Ash muttered, though he was grateful that there was at least some modern conveniences.

"I may have been raised in tradition and history, Ashley, but even I require the need for television and other technological wonders." Erika smiled in amusement. A lot of people thought that about her on first glance. "Please, sit down and get comfortable."

Ash was sitting down in an instant, glad to finally be able to rest on something comfortable. Pikachu quickly hopped into his lap and stretched. As Misty and Brock accompanied him, Hisae arrived with a tray of drinks that she sat before them. Feeling thirsty, Ash quickly grabbed one.

"Misty, Brock, both of you are free to spend the night in the other guest rooms if you desire."

"That's very kind of you." Misty was ecstatic to be able to do so. She loved traditional style homes.

"Thank you."

"Um... wait." It was at that moment that something occurred to Ash. "You said that I'm going to be living here, but what about Misty and Brock? They get to spend the night, but what about after that?"

The group sat in silence, considering that. They had spent quite a bit of time traveling together. The current arrangement kind of put a damper on that. Ash briefly hoped it meant that he wouldn't need to live here. However, Brock finally spoke up with a laugh.

"Well, there are a lot of cute girls in this city. I might try and see if I can get a date with one of them." Of course he would do just that. "There's also a town near here that I want to visit."

"What town is that?" Misty asked, curiously.

"Scissor Street. There's someone I really want to meet."

Misty hesitated. "Well, I could always visit some nearby towns as well. I was traveling before I met Ash after all, so I can handle myself." She crossed her arms. "But don't think this lets you off for my bike, Ash. I'm not going far, so I'll be popping in to constantly bother you about it. You still owe me one."

"Right, right..." Ash scratched his cheek nervously. Was he ever going to be able to pay that off? At least his friends would pop in from time to time to see how he was doing. "I don't think I can ever forget that, huh Pikachu."

His Pokemon shakes his head. "Chu..."

"About that bike," they all looked at Erika. "I know of a way to allow Ashley to pay it off. It just requires her to get a little part-time job on the side. I'll work on figuring out just where to get you a job at, Ashley."

Ash knew the job would likely be something embarrassing, but at this point, the idea of making some money was a rather nice one, and he could only really think of one thing to say. "Thanks, Erika." A yawn soon managed to sneak out, causing him to realize how tired he felt.

"Oh my, it's gotten rather late, hasn't it?" Erika asked, looking a bit tired herself. "Hisae will prepare a bath so that you all can then cleaned up, and then you'll be shown to the guest rooms."

Ash sighed as he sat relaxing in the bath water. Before him, Pikachu appeared to be in utter bliss as well. It felt so nice after such a long day to just sit in a tub of relaxing hot water. It allowed his mind to wander on events of the day. "So much happened today, didn't it buddy?"

"Pibibibibi." Pikachu's mouth was submerged a bit under the water, and so what came out was muffled and bubbly. He agreed that it was a long day of excitement and strangeness.

The trainer's hand raised up to feel his new hairstyle. Despite the fact that it was currently a little messed up, it seemed to want to go straight instead of all over. Ash realized that it was unlikely he could manage to get it back to his former glory right now. His lips turned into a frown as he thought about the mess he got himself into.

He wanted to be angry at the Rocket Trio for it, but he just couldn't bring himself to hate the trio. They constantly hounded him for Pikachu, and made constant messes of things, but he always just found them too goofy to fully hate. At most, they were an annoyance that was easily dealt with.

As he thought about them, his mind wandered a bit, questioning if they would manage to recognize him now, or if he managed to obtain a disguise to fool them. Would they laugh at him and tease him for having this happen?

Feeling something against his chest, he looked down to see Pikachu staring up at him, tiny hand pressed against him in a comforting manner as if asking if he was alright. "I'm alright, Pikachu. I was just thinking a bit." He reaches and grabs Pikachu into a close hug. "As long as you're with me, I can deal with this."

"Miss Ashley?" Hisae's voice came from the other side of the opaque glass sliding door, and Ash could see her silhouette. "I have placed a change of clothing here for you. Your sleepwear that Miss Erika provided for you."

"Um... thank you." As soon as Hisae left, Ash got out of the water and quickly dried himself off. After helping dry off Pikachu, he moved over to the door and slid it open, taking a look at the pajamas laid out for him. "... I should have known."

"Oh wow, I didn't know that you practice archery as well." Misty let out in awe. She had taken a peek at the back yard of Erika's home. It was just as lovely as the front yard, and housed many of the traditional aspects one would find in such a home. There was even a small area dedicated to archery with targets lined up.

"Yes, Archery is an important activity that more people and trainers should take part in." Erika took a sip of tea. "It isn't about just learning to use a weapon, but an activity that trains ones' eyesight, and allows them to develop strategy, patience, and thinking ahead. Essential qualities that can help a Pokemon trainer rise up above others."

"You're going to train Ash in archery, aren't you?" Brock asked flatly. All he could do was imagine Ash attempt to fire a bow and arrow and just smack himself in the face with the bow itself, or even much worse than that."

Misty's face also showed a bit of concern at the idea. "You... really shouldn't try to teach Ash that. He doesn't have the greatest in coordination."

" _ **Who**_ doesn't have coordination?" Ash's voice questioned in annoyance before Erika could answer Misty. They all turned; Brock and Misty tried to stifle a laugh. Erika, however, smiled in delight.

"Oh! You're wearing the pajamas. I knew that they would look good on you."

Indeed Ash was standing there, blushing as he looked to the side at the compliment. The pajamas consisted of a light pink, satin pajama top with a darker pink-red boarder around the collar, where it met and formed a bit of an 'x' outwards. Another band of pink-red wrapped around the top just under the chest area, and the bottom of it also contained a border.

The sleeves were puffy with frilled edges, and around the neck and bottom was a series of white frills. Ash's lower clothing consisted of a pair of soft, white puffy bloomers that ended at his knees. Encasing his feet were a pair of light pink socks with white frills. All in all, he looked like a cute little girl.

"Wow, Ash, you are really good at looking the part of a girl." Misty's envy, though still there, tapered off a bit as she felt herself wanting to take her friend and dress him up in various outfits, just to see how well he could pull them off.

"You do make a cute girl... which is really weird to say." Brock was amazed also by how well his friend managed to pull it off.

"Yeah, thanks." Ash looked to the side, embarrassed. The clothes felt weird, but they also felt rather comfortable. Though he didn't know if he could ever get used to the feeling of girl's underwear. "I guess it could have been worse, you know?" Another yawn escaped him, and he reflexively rubbed his eyes.

"Oh, that's right, it's getting late, and you really do need to get well rested for tomorrow, Ashley. That's when your new life learning under me and my gym begins." Erika motions for Hisae. "Hisae will show you to your room."

Nodding a bit numbly, Ash followed closely behind Hisae until they got to a doorway, which the maid opened up and guided Ash and Pikachu inside. When the young trainer got inside, he looked around.

The room itself was rather sparse with just the essentials in place. Those essentials being a bed, wardrobe, desk and lamp, a closet, and some shelves. A sliding glass window led to a balcony that overlooked the back yard of the home. This gave Ash a rather nice view of another koi pond, as well as a rock garden and other sights. What caught his eyes was what looked to be a small Pokemon battle arena, likely for practice.

Looking around the room some more, he spotted his backpack and made his way over to it quickly. Rummaging through it, he eventually pulled out his Official Pokemon League hat and looked it over. The hat was pretty much one of his most cherished possessions, the thing he would fight tooth and nail for, which became evident when his Primape – still a Mankey at the time – stole it less than a week prior.

He couldn't wear it around now, which was incredibly unfair. He wanted to, but knew that it would probably just screw up his hair, which Erika would get on him about. Still, he had the hat, so that was all that mattered.

Turning towards the desk, he placed the hat onto it. Maybe he'd try to get some kind of mannequin display to put it on. He then placed his Pokedex onto the desk as well, frowning. "This room is really bare, Pikachu." He didn't like it.

"Chu!"

"Well, whatever, I'm tired. Let's get some sleep, buddy." He didn't really know what tomorrow would bring, but he figured he would try to meet it head on.


	4. A Little Monkeying Around

Celadon's New Blossom

A yawn escaped from Ash's mouth as he rubbed his eyes, looking out into the view of Erika's back yard. Next to him, Pikachu appeared to still be struggling to fully wake up, but the fresh air was helping to slowly push the sleepy feeling from his mind. "This place does look really neat, doesn't it Pikachu?"

"Chaaaa" Pikachu yawned out, nodding.

After the events of the previous day, it had taken Ash a little while to finally get to sleep. Once he managed to sleep, however, it didn't take long for him to have a nightmare involving his mother dressing him in all sorts of cute clothing, and even making him walk a runway while Gary laughed his head off at him, which woke him up almost instantly. Thankfully, the second round of sleep was uneventful.

Looking down at his clothing, Ash poked and tugged slightly at the soft, light pink pajama top and white bloomers that constituted as his current sleepwear. He hated to admit it, and would prefer not to if asked, but the outfit was actually rather comfortable. The top felt smooth, soft, and cool against his skin, and the bloomers weren't too bad. Even the cotton panties weren't TOO bad, but the knowledge that he was wearing those was something he preferred to not dwell on.

Sitting down on the wooden porch, Ash dangled his legs over the side and watched as some poliwag splashed around in the secondary koi pond in the back yard. A few birds and bird Pokemon landed here and there as well. The place was relaxing, and the trainer found himself kind of enjoying it. If he had to reside here for a bit, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Shaking his head at the thoughts, he looked down at the Pokeballs sitting next to him. They belonged to his other Pokemon. If he was going to be 'Ashley' for a duration, he would probably need to let them know. He knew he definitely still owed Charmander an explanation for what was going on. He wasn't looking forward to this, but it was something that needed to be done.

Lifting the Pokeballs, except for Primeape, who he still wasn't sure about dealing with, Ash tossed them into the air. "Come on out, everybody!"

Four flashes, and out of their Pokeball popped Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Pidgeotto. All four of them took a moment to look in their surroundings.

Bulbasaur looked around the garden, impressed by the care that seemed to go into it. He felt as if he could relax a bit and soak in the Sun.

Charmander felt that the garden was nice, but was a bit wary of the sight of the pond.

Squirtle, like Bulbasaur, found the view impressive, but was more interested in the pond.

Pidgeotto wasn't quite as impressed about the appearance, though liked that there was an open sky that it would be able to enjoy.

"Um, hey guys, something kinda important has come up that we gotta talk about." Everybody turned around at the sound Ash's voice, and could only openly stare at the weird and alien appearance of the boy they had got to know as their trainer.

It was Squirtle who reacted first by bursting out laughing and nearly falling onto his back. Just seeing Ash dressed so girly with that HAIR was hilarious enough for the turtle Pokemon. It was only compounded as the boy got more flustered.

"Bul!" Bulbasaur reached out with a vine whip and slapped Squirtle upside the head. The look was weird and so unlike his trainer, but preferring to show himself as mature, he didn't laugh. The look on Ash's face, as well as the sound of importance in his voice meant that there was likely a good reason for this.

Charmander had already seen Ash in the Ashley disguise, and so he wasn't quite as surprised as the others to see Ash looking like a girl. However, he was surprised by the fact that his trainer was still dressing girly. The fire lizard had to admit, though, that he did look very comforting and kinder like that.

Pidgeotto just tilted its head a few times. The look was different, but it could just tell that it was still Ash, and that something was going on to make him uncomfortable. "Pidge!" Flapping its wings, the bird was the first to move over to Ash and land. It leaned forward and nuzzled his arm. Ash, in response, raised his hand and patted it on the head.

Not wanting to be made to look like jerks, the other three quickly made their way over, with Charmander revealing to the others what he currently knew, which wasn't all that much. The story caused Squirtle to laugh a bit more at the thought of Ash in a long wig and dress, earning him another vine to the head.

"So I guess you're wondering about my look, huh?" Ash asked, scratching his cheek in clear embarrassment. At their nod, he continued. "I'm kinda stuck like this, and I don't know how long." He proceeded to explain to his Pokemon about the events of the previous day. The female disguise he used, the fire, the salon, and everything else that happened.

Squirtle just blinked and thought it over for a moment. It was hilarious, but it didn't really change all that much other than Ash's appearance. Maybe he looked a little less cool, but he did make a cute girl. He even mentioned that to the others, who rolled their eyes a bit.

Bulbasaur was indifferent. It really didn't matter to him if his trainer decided to have a different look or not. Humans were kind of like that since they could change their hair and clothing so easily.

Charmander, though, walked a little closer to Ash and placed a paw on the boy's leg. He didn't mind the change at all. Ash was still the trainer who saved his life a while back, though it seemed like he was having a tough time at the moment, and Charmander wanted to help him. "Char" He felt a little more comfortable around Ash like this at the moment.

Pidgeotto didn't really care. Ash was still Ash, and he would still follow any command that his trainer gave him.

Noticing that all of his Pokemon seemed to understand for the most part, Ash smiled in relief. He didn't have to worry about that any more. "Don't you have one more Pokeball?" The voice made Ash turn his head around to see Erika walking out onto the porch.

"Erm, what do you mean? I don't have another Pokemon. Haha..." It was clear as day that he was lying, but he just didn't want to deal with Primeape right now.

Erika was dressed in a simple yellow nightgown, drinking from a mug of tea. "You clearly have another Pokeball right there, and from what I can tell, your Pikachu doesn't go into its Pokeball." She takes a sip, still appearing sleepy herself. "Is there something about that one which causes you to be reluctant?"

Ash's hand went towards Primeape's Pokeball and lifted it up to stare eye level at it. "It's a Primeape. We met it as a Mankey and it stole my hat. Stuff happened, and it evolved and became even more violent, trying to chase us down."

"A Primeape? My, those are a tough one to handle." Erika sat down next to Ashley and stared off into her garden, watching a koi clear the surface. "It's one of those Pokemon that a lot of trainers can have difficulty managing. It's especially a hurdle for most beginning trainers unless they know exactly what they're doing."

Ash frowned. As much as he hated to admit it, perhaps he was a bit behind in knowing just what he was doing as a trainer. Reaching, he gave Pikachu a pat on the head. Bulbasaur and the others had gone off to explore the garden some.

Erika continued. "But if you keep on refusing to meet things head on, then you will never grow and solve your problem." The Gym Leader placed her hand on Ash's hand holding the Pokeball. "Ashley, I know that it is probably something you do not wish to do because of what happened before, but you must let Primeape out. It is best to try to get to know it and temper that spirit it has. It is what all Pokemon trainers must do in order to realize their goal."

That's right. In order to realize his goal, he had to deal with Primeape now. If Primeape was any indication, then there would be many other Pokemon out there that would be just as difficult to deal with. Was he going to keep ignoring the problem, or was he going to meet it head on like a Pokemon Master would?

"Come on out, Primeape!" He made his decision!

As soon as Primeape was let out, he was off to stomping about in place. "Priya!" Finally, he was free of that stupid Pokeball for the moment, and had another chance to stretch his legs. Where was he? This wasn't his familiar home! It was... kinda nice. There was a lot more lushness than the place he initially lived around. Though the knowledge that he was far from home made him angry!

"Um, hey Primeape."

That voice! It was the voice of the dang kid with the hat who managed to catch him. To be caught by some kid who clearly got lucky was something he could never live down. Where did the voice come from? Behind him? That was probably where he was. He deserved another punch to the face, and maybe a kick! Oh how his blood was boiling to let out the rising anger within him.

Turning around, Primeape was about to unleash the mother of all hey-makers, but immediately came to a halt when he caught sight of what appeared to be a rather cute girl with blonde hair. That's not what he was expecting to see. "Priya?"

"It's me, Primeape. It's Ash." Ash tensed, waiting for a punch to come. His new look likely only stalled the pig monkey Pokemon for a second. When no attack came, Ash glanced back at Primeape to see him just staring and nothing more. "Hey, are you okay? Is it the look? Yeah, the hair is kinda weird, huh? I'm stuck with the look, though."

Primeape was wondering what he was doing. Why did he stop? The one before him was the one who caught him and took him from his home. It was the same lame kid that kept him confined in the ball. So why... why was he hesitating. "Pri..." He soon realized he was blushing as he stared at the blonde. Angry over the idea of blushing, he started thrashing in place.

"What's going on? Why didn't it attack me?" Said blonde-haired child asked, scratching his cheek. He felt relief at not having to nurse a wound, but confusion at why it didn't happen. "It looks really angry, though."

Stifling a giggle due to having an idea as to why, Erika smiled. "Ashley, I think now is a time you should go over and talk to Primeape." At the incredulous look, she insisted. "Hesitate and you will lose your chance, young lady."

The use of 'young lady' caused a look of embarrassment to spread over Ash's face. Biting his lip, though, he made his way over to the thrashing Primape and stopped a few feet away from him. "What's the matter, Primeape?" His hand slowly reached out, outstretched towards the creature.

Primeape stopped in his stomping and stared more at Ash, blushing as he did. When his eyes caught Ash's, he couldn't help but meet a look that was rather curious and kind of nice. Normally meeting someone's gaze would get him riled up, but right now it didn't.

It suddenly dawned on Ash that he was making eye contact with Primeape, and out of some fear, quickly averted his gaze. The removal of eye contact caused the monkey to feel... a sense of sadness perhaps? It was an odd feeling. Not having the eyes to look at, he quickly noticed the outstretched hand. For a moment, he looked at his own hand, then to Ash's. Finally, Primeape reached out and placed his hand on his trainer's.

Opening his eyes again, Ash looked back at Primeape to see that the Pokemon had put its hand onto his. Was it really this easy? Why was it so different than trying to get to know Primeape before? Maybe it just took a little time for it to warm up to him.

A wide smile broke out onto Ash's face as he pulled the monkey into a huge hug. "This is amazing! We're finally friends! You're awesome, Primeape!" He laughed.

"Priiiiii..." Primeape just stared ahead. That happy smile was cute, and the hug felt really nice. What was he angry about again? He couldn't remember, which made him a little angry at not being able to. Thinking about Ash's smile, though, gave him an odd happy feeling, as if he wanted to keep seeing that smile.

"Just you wait, Primeape, we're going to get to know each other, and we'll also train! You'll get stronger and even better." Ash was positively gushing about all the things they would do, still unsure as to why there was a sudden change in Primeape's behavior. However, he didn't care.

"She's a bit slow on the uptake, isn't she?" Erika asked, leaning towards Pikachu. It was amusing and a bit charming.

"Pikachu..." Pikachu sighed out, giving a little shrug in exasperation.

oooooooooooo

"Primeape listens to you now? I don't believe it!" It was one of the first things that Misty had been told after managing to wake up. Arriving at the living room, the water trainer met face to face with the aforementioned pig monkey Pokemon. Her eye contact and resulting scream of surprise nearly set the creature off. To her surprise, Ash had managed to calm Primeape down with a simple command of 'stop'.

Ash laughed as he ruffled the top of Primape's head. "Yeah! I don't understand it either. All I know is that me and Primeape are good buddies now."

"I think I know." Brock whispered to Misty. "I know that look on Primape anywhere. It has a crush on 'Ashley'." That was definitely one way to earn a Pokemon's attention.

"Should we tell him?" The idea was kind of cute, but at the same time it was awkward to imagine that a Pokemon like Primeape could be subdued with just a little bit of cuteness. Of course, it bugged her that said cuteness was from a boy.

"Nah, I think it's better this way." If anything, Ash would probably get annoyed that the only reason he got Primeape to listen to him was by looking like a girl.

"What are you two talking about?" Ash asked, tilting his head at the two.

Misty quickly answered. "Ah... we're just discussing where we're going to go is all!" She smiled. "We're going to explore Celadon some more, as well as visit a couple places near here, but once we get done with that, we'll come back and visit you."

It was a weird feeling, really. To suddenly not be traveling with a friend after doing so for a few months. Though neither of them really wanted to just stick around and not do much else while Ash was just being trained and working.

"Oh, right..." Ash frowned. He was probably going to miss out on some neat adventures because of this. "I hope this working off my part of what happened to the gym and training don't last all that long. I mean, once I defeat Erika and get the badge, it's not like there's anything else she can teach me. Getting the badge will prove I got what it takes."

"He's getting a big ego again."

Misty looked at Brock. "He's always had it."

"Is that what you think, Ashley?" Erika asked, sitting down with them. Not long after, Hisae brought in breakfast for them. "That once you defeat a Gym Leader, there is nothing more that you can learn from them?"

"Well... uh... " He suddenly felt on the spot right now.

"Defeating a Gym Leader is a great victory for any trainer, and shows admirable skill and talent in overcoming that Gym Leader's Pokemon and training. I do not feel, however, that one victory would automatically mean that a trainer has nothing else to learn. Am I one of the strongest Pokemon trainers you would meet? Of course not. There are other trainers out there who are far stronger."

Everybody was silent as Erika spoke, absorbing what she was saying.

"I do feel, however, that I can help you grow and learn. It does not always have to be the strongest who can teach, but the one who is knowledgeable and aware of the potential secrets that could allow one to grow. Strength does not only come from the Pokemon battling, but also from the trainer as well."

"From the trainer? Don't I just gotta watch the battle and tell my Pokemon what to do when I see an opening?" Well, he knew there was a bit more than that, but he didn't know how much.

Erika takes a bite of her breakfast. "In a Pokemon battle, the trainer and their Pokemon are one. Even outside of battle there is a bond that improves as the trainer does. If the trainer is more capable and understanding of situations, then both of them can improve their skill. Are you following me, Ashley?"

Ash just kind of stared a bit as Erika talked, blinking when she addressed him. "Oh, uh... yeah. Things can be better if the trainer can understand more things."

"... in a sense, yes. You may not realize it, but flower arranging and tea ceremony will help you as a trainer. Attention to detail and patience will develop. Such skills will allow you to better spot openings in a Pokemon's attack or defense. Patience is also an important virtue to have. I also have various other activities in mind for you to take part in. One of which is archery."

"Archery? Shooting arrows? When am I ever gonna have to do that?"

"Maybe never. Maybe someday you'll find an archery competition. Who knows when you'll encounter a situation where you'll have to shoot arrows. However, the thing about archery is that it trains accuracy, precision, and patience, just to name a few qualities. If you know just where a Pokemon is going to go, you can have your Pokemon aim towards that spot. Even throwing Pokeballs can benefit."

Ash took a moment to take the information in. "It all sounds like it's going to take a long time to do and learn. Why are you even spending all of this time dealing with me anyway? Don't you have other trainers at the gym who would really like a chance to go through all of this instead?" Not that he wasn't grateful that someone wanted to train him, but part of it just didn't make sense.

Erika thought about this in silence, mulling over just what she was going to say to the boy. Over the course of a day, she found herself getting more and more attached to him. Initially it was just a minor desire to help train and mentor the 'girl' that she had met only for a short time. After getting to know him a little more and helping get both his hair and the manner with his mother situated, she felt like she was growing even more attached to the child. It was incredibly selfish to admit, but she couldn't let go of the desire to help mold 'Ashley' and see how he would grow with her guidance. Was she projecting?

'I'm sorry for my selfishness.' She thought to herself. She just didn't want to let 'Ashley' go yet, and still wanted to spend time and get to know him. It was... also kind of fun dealing with him.

"Erika?" Misty began, but stopped as the woman spoke.

"I just see someone who I want to help. Human emotions are illogical, and we all get feelings we can't explain. I think after seeing you, I just feel like one of those characters from a shounen anime who takes on a diamond in the rough, acting as their sensei and training them to find their potential." She figured that was honestly as best an excuse as she could give that she felt comfortable with. My, all of this thinking was leaving her a bit sleepy.

"So... I'm like some kinda chosen hero protagonist in that way then?" Ash could feel his ego swell at just considering the thought. Him being that kind of person and not Gary. "But how long will all of this take? I can't be like this forever, you know. How do I know when I'm done?"

How would he know when to stop? That was an interesting question, Erika thought. What excuse could she give that. Perhaps something to play off of his pride once more? That was her best bet. "When you win the Pokemon League, Ashley."

"That's it?" He clearly didn't realize the weight there.

"Ash," Brock began, "The Pokemon League is a competition involving the best trainers of the region. Not only do you need eight badges, but you also need to defeat a series of other stronger and stronger trainers. It's not something you can just walk in and win easily."

"Well I bet we can do that, right Pikachu?" He looked at Pikachu, who seemed a bit reluctant, but nodded. "We'll beat all of them and become the strongest trainer!"

Erika raised an eyebrow. "In order to become the strongest, you'd also need to beat the Elite 4."

"Huh?" Ash looked at her. "I think I've heard about them. They're four really strong trainers, right?"

"Four trainers who are among the best of the region." Brock crossed his arms. "Once a trainer wins the Pokemon League, they are also given a chance to battle the Elite Four. After defeating the Elite Four, the challenger can then face off against the Champion of the region."

"The Champion?"

"The best of the best in the region." Erika provided. "The Elite 4 can often be seen trying to challenge the Champion in televised matches, to try and defeat them and take their position. However, they often fail to do so."

"Defeat the Champion..."

Misty knew the look in Ash's eyes and hesitated. "Ash... you're not thinking about-"

Ash stood up, fist held in the air. "Forget just winning the league, I'm going to go all the way and defeat the champion! That way I'll show you I don't need any more of this 'Ashley' thing!"

"Are you willing to make that an actual bet, Ashley?" Erika asked, feeling an odd sense of... amusement course through her. "That you will win the entire league and beat the champion to prove you have become more capable than what I can help provide, and would continue to be 'Ashley' until you do?"

"You bet I am! I'm going to train hard and show you what I can do. Before you know it, 'Ashley' will be back to 'Ash'!" He burst out laughing as Misty and Brock just placed their hands to their face.

"Priyaaaa!" Primeape's voice caused everybody to stop and look towards the primate Pokemon as it returned to the living room. They had sort of forgotten about it amidst the discussion they all had. However, there was no questioning where it had gone, because the answer was obvious to all.

"My hat!"

ooooooo

"They have to be somewhere in the city." Jessie growled out in annoyance as the trio searched about for Ash and Pikachu. "We never saw them leave the city. If they did, they would have went towards Fuchsia, right?"

"That would be the best guess, Jessie." James answered as he examined a bottle cap he found just lying in a gutter. "Ooooo, this is a really vintage bottle cap. It's a shame someone just tossed it away, but lucky me!" This earned him a slap upside the head from Jessie.

Meowth rolled his eyes. "Will you two knock it off and just find Pikachu already? It hasn't been a full day yet, and they probably stayed the night."

His two companions nodded their heads in agreement. Granted, the city was rather large, so finding a kid and his pikachu wasn't going to be all THAT simple.

"Look! It's a Pikachu." James pointed. The other two looked, and sure enough, a pikachu turned the corner, turned with its back towards them. "Let's go!"

"I'm on it." Jessie pulled out an extending hand device quickly shot it out to grab up Pikachu.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu let out in surprise, attempting to use his electricity. Though the hand was insulated to prevent it.

Meowth jumped in victory. "Try all you want, but you won't be damaging that there hand!"

James looked around. "The twerp is probably really close by, though."

"Will you three stop causing trouble and let Pikachu go?!" The familiar voice caught their ears.

"Trouble? Well... prepare for trouble"

"And make it double!"

Jessie zoned in towards Ash's direction. "To protect the world from deva—huh?"

"What's wrong, Jessie, why did you..." James trailed off, the both of them staring directly at who they initially thought they were going to face.

Standing there was Ash, accompanied by Erika. Ash, however, was currently dressed in an outfit used by members of the Celadon Gym for chores that involved various tasks involving planting, trimming, and other silvicultural activities that went on both in and around the gym and city.

The outfit consisted of a light beige scout uniform-like top with a red tie. A brown belt around the waist, and a pair of light beige waist-high shorts. On his feet were a pair of socks and a pair of ankle boots.

"Did we... get the wrong Pikachu? Jessie asked, slightly confused about the young 'girl' before them. Were they hearing things? Though that face did look familiar. "James, what do you- James?"

James was immediately next to Ash and poking at his hair, checking the length and giving the ends a little fluff. "It's not a wig. It's your actual hair. Oh my, did you like our makeover so much that you decided to make a change in lifestyle? Whoever did your hair is a professional!"

"I... um..." Ash just blushed at the attention he was getting at the moment, unsure how to respond.

"It's you three again." Erika was rather annoyed to see the trio that had caused such destruction to her gym. "How did you like that essence of Gloom you stole?"

Just the thought caused Jessie to gag. "Don't remind us. That was horrible!" Something dawned on her. "Wait... is that the twerp?"

"It is!" Meowth let out, and both he and Jessie couldn't help but burst out laughing a bit at the flustered kid.

James, meanwhile, just kept examining Ash and his look. "You're a natural at this! I could give you some tips sometime if you like. How about some magazines?" He seemed a bit too excited to think that he had helped someone learn to appreciate the joys of dressing feminine.

"I... what?" Ash continued blushing at the attention, though he couldn't help but feel a smidge of pride at the idea of being able to pull off the look he was doing. Quashing those thoughts, he shook his head. "Give Pikachu back

"Or what?" Meowth asked. "We have Pikachu in our grasp right now, and we're not scared of some Gym Leader."

Jessie quickly yelled to her colleague. "James, get over here." James was a bit reluctant, but complied. He wanted to talk to the twerp a little more about the change.

"Pikaaaa." Pikachu let out, growling at the trio, sparks helplessly from his cheeks.

'Or what?' Ash thought to himself, before an idea came to him. "You guys aren't afraid of a gym leader, but what about..." He tossed a Pokeball, which allowed Primeape to pop out.

"Priya!" The pig monkey stomped around a bit. On top of his head was Ash's hat from before.

Ash tried to take his hat back earlier, but when he did, Primeape ended up getting all sad and mopey. After a discussion with Erika, he had –key word being very reluctantly – decided to let Primeape wear it, but ONLY until he could wear it again himself. If he couldn't wear the hat, then he guessed the next best thing was one of his Pokemon who also loved to wear it.

'I really hope that hat survives this...' he lamented, looking at Primeape and the hat.

"P- Primeape!" The trio let out in shock and surprise, remembering so well their encounter with the thing.

Primeape, too, remembered his encounter with them, especially Jessie. He remembered the kick she gave him when he was a Mankey. He could still feel where he had been kicked, and it made him a bit, well, angry.

"Primeape, those three took Pikachu. I want you to save him."

The easily angered Pokemon reasoned the situation. Pikachu and Ash seemed to be rather close friends. Ash cared for Pikachu. Pikachu was taken by bad guys. Having Pikachu taken would mean that Ash was sad or angry. Being sad or angry meant no smile. No smile was a bad thing. It filled him with more anger. There was only one thing to do.

"Priiiiiiiiiiiimeape!" It leaped at the frightened trio, causing them to experience a Dust Cloud of Violence Mk. 2. Jessie, losing control over the device holding Pikachu, let go of it.

As Pikachu fell, Ash leaped forward and caught him. "Gotcha buddy!"

"Pikapi!" The electric mouse nuzzled Ash back, glad to be out of that dumb hand.

"Okay Primeape, send 'em flying!"

"Priya!" Primeape let out a violent uppercut that sent the trio blasting off into the sky, twinkling in the distance. He then looked towards Ash and noticed he was happy. Happy Ash = good. All was right in his mind.

Eventually, Ash and Erika continued on their way towards the Celadon Gym. Misty and Brock had decided to go on some errangs, but they all agreed to meet again later that day before the two headed off to visit the nearby towns.

When they got to the gym and entered through the sliding glass door, Ash noted the amount of damage the inside had suffered. Most of the trees, bushes, and general flora burned up. Right now there were several girls working on removing the charred remains and rebuilding the greenery.

"Good day, Erika, it's good to see you today." Ash turned to the voice, and nearly tripped over himself. It was the blue-haired girl that had stamped his face with the big red X.

"Good morning, Hina, I trust that everybody is working on the restoration project just fine?" Erika placed a hand to her cheek in embarrassment. "I'm sorry for not being here sooner to help with the start of it. I just had a lot of trouble getting started this morning. You know how I don't fully wake up quickly."

"I'm aware." Hina answered. It was widely known that Erika could be a bit narcoleptic at times, preferring to take a quick nap here or there in the gym in the down time. Looking to the side, she noted Ash's presence. "Hm, is this..."

"Oh yes, this is Ashley. She's the one who registered yesterday, and the one I decided to help train and improve. Ashley, this is Hina."

The crossdressing boy raised a hand in greeting. "Um... hi."

"Hello Ashley. It's a pleasure to meet you... again." At the questioning look, she smirked. "Oh, don't think that some of us don't know who you really are. You clean up rather nicely for having been such a scruffy boy." Hina reaches and plays with Ash's hair a little. "I like your hair."

Ash, in response, slapped the hand away. "Don't think I forgot that X you stamped me with to keep me from coming in, you jerk."

"Sorry about that~" The curly, brown-haired girl from before answered in a sing-song voice, appearing next to him, and he couldn't help but be reminded of brock due to her eyes. "We may have gotten a bit carried away, but we've been told doing that isn't allowed any more. Can't have similar events happen again."

Erika nodded. "It is also something that I, as a Gym Leader, feel was unbecoming of my position and stature."

The brown-haired girl grabbed Ash by the hand and pulled him in. "The past is the past, and the future is what matters the most!" Giving him a twirl, she wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Welcome to life at the Celadon Gym, Ashley! I'm sure we'll have lots of fun, hee hee~"

"... lots and lots of fun." Ash muttered as he was guided deeper into the gym.

Author's Notes: The blue-haired girl didn't have a name provided in the anime.


	5. A Little Heart to Heart

Celadon's New Blossom

"H- hey, come on, aren't we supposed to be doing some training or something? Whatever it is trainers of gyms do?" Ash asked nervously as he wiggled. "Or at least do some more planting and stuff?" All around him were a bunch of girls from the gym intent on getting to know the 'new girl'. He found himself having to deal with a bunch of questions that they kept tossing at him, not to mention having his hair felt up. It didn't help that they knew he was a boy. He was sure that they were embarrassing him even more because of that.

"We do train, but not all the time." A green-haired girl with glasses answered, a bit too close to him as she seemed to examine his skin, as well as his hands. "And taking some breaks from all the hard labor of restoring greenery keeps our spirits fresh!"

"So you're the one that Lady Erika chose to be her protegee, huh?" Another girl asked, though there was a slight feeling of annoyance coming from her. "You're cute, but I am honestly not sure what she saw in you exactly."

"Protegee? What's that?"

"You don't even know what that means?" The same girl asked with a huff. This... boy had managed to obtain a position that a lot of other girls could only desire. Was he just lucky and in the right place at the right time? "It means apprentice. A mentee... someone who is typically taken on by a master or sensei to have knowledge, secrets, and techniques passed down onto them."

Ash digested that information. Was that really what he was? Erika had mentioned that she felt like a sensei from a shounen anime, but was she actually going about doing that? These girls seemed to think so, and part of him felt a little smug for being the person chosen to receive such an honor.

"Aww, lay off. She's just a newbie, even if she might be that close to Erika." An older girl stated, waving the other girl off. However, she got to thinking and tugged a little at the outfit Ash was wearing. "However, if that's true, then perhaps little Ashley here should fit the look a little better?"

"Fit the look a little better?" Ash tilted his head at that. He looked down at his top and shorts, and then back up. When he did, he noticed a few other girls get a bit of an... unnerving gleam in their eyes.

The green-haired girl placed a hand to her cheek and let out an 'oh my' in response, giving a look of fake shock. "You're right! The apprentice to the lovely and beautiful Erika simply cannot just go around dressed in the clothes of us 'common rabble'! It just wouldn't be proper."

It quickly dawned on Ash as to just what the girls were starting to get at, causing him a little panic. "W- wait, that's alright. I'm happy with what I'm already wearing." He just wanted training. He didn't want any of this! "Pikachu, help me out a little, will you?"

"Piiiiiii..." Pikachu was comfortably laying in the arms of one of the girls, his cheeks being rubbed in such a relaxing manner that he couldn't bring himself to do much of anything else.

"Pikachuuuuuu." Tears flowed from Ash's eyes at being betrayed by his best bud. Before he knew it, he was pulled onto his feet by one of the girls. All the other girls had him completely surrounded.

"Awww, don't cry, sweetie. We're going to help you look like the young princess you're supposed to be. Right girls?"

"Right!" The group answered. Perhaps it was a little awkward to know that they were now sharing their gym with a boy, but if said boy was supposed to take part and be just like 'one of the girls', then they were going to have a little fun with it. Not to mention he was a little cutie, and it would be a shame not to take advantage of it.

Ash yelled out to Pikachu for help as they dragged him away, but Pikachu just continued to lay there getting his cheeks rubbed. His trainer would be fine.

* * *

"Let's place this flower headband here."

"This bracelet will be a cute addition!"

"Stop squirming, Ashley. You'll cause a mess if you do!"

Ash whimpered softly as the girls worked on giving him a makeover. Everything seemed to move so quickly that he had no time to parse what was happening as the girls went about treating him like he was some kind of cute little doll to play dress up with.

He knew that he was being wrapped in a light pink kimono with a light blue inner layer. A soft sea green obi kept it all in place. To his horror, one of the girls added a smidgen of makeup to his face. It went from bad to worse when a couple other girls grabbed his hands, and applied light pink nail polish to each fingernail.

"I don't want this dumb stuff! Lemme go!" If Gary could only see him now, he'd never hear the end of it. He'd become the biggest laughing stock ever. "This isn't fair!"

"Oh my, do you think this is young Ashley's first ever makeover?"

A gasp from another girl. "Her first ever? Think of all the memories we are making with this cutie! She'll always remember us for causing such an important milestone in her life."

"For all the wrong reasons!" Ash belted out. He probably was going to remember this, but as an absolute horror that he would regret.

Eventually, the makeover finished, and the girls promptly guided Ash over to a mirror and stood him before it. His eyes, however, were shut tightly in both fear and worry. "Open your eyes and tell us what you think, Ashley."

Reluctantly, the boy slowly opened his eyes and gazed into the mirror, staring at the reflection looking back. His heart felt as if it skipped several beats as he saw what appeared to be a cute and demure girl, looking back at him with a surprised and somewhat worried expression. Lifting up a hand, he stared at the now pink nails. Didn't nail polish take a little while to wear off? Oh god, what would Brock or – even worse – Misty say if they saw it.

"Well, 'Princess' Ashley?" One of the girls asked. "What do you think? Do you like your new look? Don't you look lovely? Did we do a great job?"

"N..." What could he say? He could immediately blurt out 'no' and 'it's horrible', which was what he normally would have done and was about to do, but there was some weird thought nagging at him in the back of his mind that in doing so, it would make them angry, or some other kind of feeling or reaction that he didn't want to deal with.

He didn't like being forced into dressing up, much less being forced to look more girly, but at the same time, he was really cute right now. He looked good and convincing, and that wasn't something he could deny. All he knew was that he was experiencing so many different feelings and emotions right now, and he actually didn't know how to feel in the slightest.

Swallowing, he decided to give his answer. "I... you all did really good. I mean, I guess you girls know your stuff. I don't know much about any of this, so... um... I gotta go!" As well as being dressed in a kimono would allow, Ash rushed away from the girls and back towards the gym area proper.

… and bumped right into Erika. "Oh! Ashley, there you are. I was looking for you. I was thinking- oh my, you look so lovely." She promptly notes something. "Is something wrong, Ashley?"

"Whaddaya mean? I'm fine." Ash answered back, letting out a laugh as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I just wanted to get some fresh air."

It was clear to Erika that the young boy was trying to keep his emotions bottled up, likely out of fear of being seen suffering from distress or fear. Her lips turned into a frown as she thought on it. She was making a 10-year-old boy go through all of this without really considering his feelings on the matter, and had been blinded by her own ambitions that she allow herself a moment to consider the weight of it all. There was a lot the Ash was going through at the moment, and Erika could tell he was having trouble letting his emotions show on the issue.

"Ash?" At the use of his actual name, Ash looked up. "Can you come with me? There is something I want to discuss with you."

* * *

Having felt that a bit of privacy was in order for her talk with Ash, Erika brought the boy to an undamaged tea room area of the gym. It was a small, modern-looking room lit by a single window. The motif was, of course, plants and flowers. There was a relaxing atmosphere that coursed through the room with soft scents.

Erika got the both of them some tea and made sure that Ash was comfortable. As soon as she was, the woman began to explain to him, in full, her true reasons for making Ash go through with the whole Ashley thing. Her selfishness, her stubbornness, her desire to help guide the trainer, and her willingness to go so far as to put him through something that caused him a great deal of conflicted feelings.

Ash, for his part, wasn't sure how to feel about all of this. He felt furious that Erika merely used his involvement with helping Team Rocket as an excuse to get him to completely alter his life style into something so alien that embarrassed the hell out of him. Yet at the same time, he also felt a bit... excited? Excited that the woman actually did want to help him become a better person and trainer, seeing his potential.

"So..." His hands clenched and unclenched, "Why are you even telling me this? Couldn't you have just kept it a secret? Never letting me know the truth?" She had to know that by revealing this to him, she ran the risk of screwing up her plans.

Erika closed her eyes, hands on her cup of tea. Outwardly, she appeared serene and calm. Inwardly, however, she was well beyond nervous. Seeing the boy before her cycling through emotions made her wonder if she screwed up big time.

"It's... because I saw how distraught you looked at that moment after being with the other girls, Ash." She opened her eyes and looked directly at him, and he could see softness and sincerity in her eyes. "Your makeover likely made you confused on how to feel about both it and what your life is becoming. You probably felt that you looked really good, but also felt that things shouldn't be like that. You got really scared and unsure of what was happening, yes?"

Ash looked to the side, blushing. He was afraid to answer, but he was alone with Erika and not surrounded by other people. "Yeah, I looked cute, and I was scared that thought I looked cute. I didn't like being forced into doing it, and I didn't like having the makeup forced on me. But... I guess that I did kinda like how it turned out." He poked at his kimono. He was a boy. He shouldn't like such things. "I mean, if I'm gonna be stuck living like a girl, then it's good that I look good, right?"

"I understand, Ash." Erika gave him a small smile. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with liking how you look. Both men and woman alike enjoy looking good and appearing presentable to those around them. Though usually under less... forced circumstances." She shakes her head. "But what you were probably feeling when you saw yourself was a sense of pride in how you looked, yes? You didn't like the method and journey, but you liked the result."

"I guess so."

"There is nothing wrong with that. Perhaps you will never actually LIKE 'playing dress up', but you would still like how you look. Having pride in your appearance is an important thing to have." She finally takes a sip. "It's probably hard for you right now, but you don't need to hide your emotions."

"I'm not hiding my emotions." Ash responded, blushing.

Erika continued. "Emotions are an important thing that humans, and even Pokemon, possess. They allow us and those around us to know when something is either alright or wrong. They are perfectly natural and should not be ignored."

"But-"

"I'm not saying to just cry. Admittedly, a good cry can be therapeutic in that it releases stress toxins from the body, allowing one to feel better. No, what I'm saying is that one should be more open with their emotions and actually talk their issues out with someone. Bottling all of this up and allowing it to build only contributes in building stress, which would lead to having to release some kind of tears." Considers Ash a bit. "Though it can often take a strong person to admit to feeling sad or distressed, especially if they grew up thinking otherwise. All in all, feelings and emotions allow us to feel human. Without them... well... it's best not to think about that."

Ash just nods a little at that

"Admittedly, something else I was trying to teach you from this, which I noticed you seemed to be lacking, was a lesson in humility."

"What?! You just wanted to humiliate me?" His fist clenched at this thought.

"Not humiliation, Ash, Humility. Though they can both tend to go hand in hand." At his confusion, she continued. "You can't deny that you are a bit full of yourself, Ash. You don't realize when you're in over your head, and jump head long into trouble while thinking you're a big shot who can handle it. I'm guessing this has gotten you and your friends in a fair share of issues?"

He blushes "Um... kinda."

"Though it may seem harsh, in teaching you humility, the intent is to humble you, make you realize when and when not to boast or talk about yourself. In a roundabout way, having you live like a girl will allow you to see things from the opposite side and learn important life lessons that anybody could use in life." Another sip. "The trainers who strut around thinking that they are so big, and are unable to relate to others, will eventually reach an event that will cause them to crash down hard. This would then lead to them needing to take a look at their life and re-evaluate themselves."

Ash's mind went to thoughts about Gary, and just how much the boy tried to present himself as being so big and amazing. Not to mention all those cheerleaders. Was Gary an example of this? Would he eventually crash due to ego?

"By helping you learn all of this sooner, my intention was to make it so you wouldn't have to go through such a thing later. Your experiences with me and my training were to help humble you and make you more worldly; to prevent you from blindly rushing into it later without realizing."

Ash wasn't sure how to respond. He was still a bit annoyed at Erika for hiding the reasoning, but was also touched that she honestly seemed to care about helping him so much and getting so attached to him from just knowing him for so short a time.

"But I feel as if I may have overstepped my boundaries way too much, and I am sorry, Ash. I shouldn't have done this with such hidden intentions, and I understand if you are furious with me." She bows her head. "If you want to end this Ashley thing and return to being Ash, then I won't stop you. You won't have to be stuck in this place any longer."

Surprise was evident on Ash's face at this. He could be free if he wanted? He was completely his choice in the matter? No more embarrassment of being Ashley and all of this girl stuff! He was about to respond when he realized what it meant; no training from Erika. He wouldn't learn anything from the woman. No secrets, strategies, techniques, tips, or anything like that. He'd be back to square one.

Not to mention the bet he made with Erika about defeating the Champion before proving himself. The bet could be broken, but it felt kind of cheap, especially after stating it so loudly. If he broke that, then it would leave a bad taste in his mouth, as if he couldn't live up to his own expectations and declarations. A Pokemon Master should live up to his promises.

Not to mention again the training and lessons... especially those. Erika's decision to spill everything to him and confide in him despite the fact that it could ruin everything also caused a surge of... respect?

"... nah." Ash finally replied, rubbing his finger across the bridge of his nose, looking to the side as a blush appeared. "I ain't going anywhere yet. I want all of that training you were gonna give me. I wanna become an amazing Pokemon Master."

Erika felt a torrent of relief and disbelief at hearing that, looking up quickly in surprise. "Really? Are you sure?" She thought for certain he would choose to go back to being Ash in a heartbeat. Maybe she underestimated him.

"Besides, it's not like I can return to my previous self right now. I mean, look at my hair and fingernails. That would cause weird looks. That's not to mention Prof. Oak is already planning on sending me my new Pokedex with my new ID." Once he got the Pokedex, he'd be able to go challenge another gym.

He blinks, finding himself enveloped within a hug by the older woman. "Thank you, Ash. I feel relieved now, and promise that I will work on being a sensei that you can be proud to tell others you trained under."

"H- hey now, enough with the mushy stuff, alright?" Ash's blush grew bigger as he wiggled. "I mean, if you're going to apologize like that, then how about we actually get around to training you promised? I wanna get more awesome!"

Erika giggled in response. "Yes, Ashley, let's work on some of the things I was going to talk to you about earlier."

She guided Ash to the door of the tea room and opened it. As soon as the door opened, several of the girls of the gym tumbled into the room, including Pikachu.

"Girls... I do not appreciate having a private conversation eavesdropped on." Erika frowned, giving a look of displeasure.

"Sorry Miss Erika!" They all yelled in embarrassment.

"Hey buddy." Ash picked Pikachu up into his arms. "I guess you're finished getting your cheeks rubbed."

"Chu~" Maybe he'll see if the girl can do it again sometime.

* * *

"La la la la- what am I doing this for?" Ash asked as he stood before Erika. One of the first things that the woman had decided to teach him was vocal training. She had him work on using his 'Ashley' voice to try and do a little singing... not that he was any good at singing to begin with. "I can change my voice just fine."

"You can, but you do have clear issues about keeping it up for an extended period without relaxing and switching to your actual voice." Erika points to his throat. "And if you don't decide to work on training your voice, then how long would you be able to switch voices without trouble? As a boy, your voice will eventually change and mature. That is, unless you're one of the people who manages to grow up without your voice changing too much." She shakes her head. "But even then, taking precaution early is the proper thing to do."

"... and the singing?"

Erika smiled. "I want to see if you can manage to sing a little. Nothing big, and I don't expect anything professional, but I think you would look cute singing."

Ash stared at her with a half-lidded expression. "... right."

"Pi pi pi~" Pikachu mimicked the singing and gave a thumbs up, earning a pat from Erika.

They spent some time working on Ash's voice, though eventually decided to stop for a bit. Erika expressed, however, that it was still best that Ash keep using his 'Ashley' voice, even amongst the both of them.

"Now we can have a discussion on some other things to work with. First up, I want to talk to you about empathy."

Ash thinks on that. "You said something about Empathy during our battle."

Erika nods, happy that Ash remembered that brief talk while in the midst of a fight. "Empathy is the capacity to understand what another being is experiencing, to put yourself in that being's shoes. This is important when dealing with Pokemon, because each and every Pokemon has a personality, desires, needs, and feelings." She continues to rub Pikachu's head

That made sense to Ash. Pikachu and his other Pokemon were an example.

"If you put yourself in their position, you'll understand their wants and needs better. You'll be able to relate to them and know what they're going through in battle." She let Ash sink that in. "This extends to people you meet as well. Though I admit that I am a little less suitable in dealing with humans compared to Pokemon." She coughs into a hand, remembering her... mistakes that led to the current chain of events.

"Oh, yes, I have a few things to give you, Ashley." As Ash watched her with a questioning gaze, Erika walked away. A moment later, she returned with several large books, having to wheel them in. "These are yours." She hands them to Ash.

Taking each of the books, her apprentice looked over the covers. A couple of the books were basically a series of plant and nature encyclopedias. They all seemed to be in depth with lots and lots of text and diagrams on flowers, trees, and assorted flora and fauna. One book was on berries, fruits, and vegetables. Another was on herbs, medicines, and poisonous plants and how to identify them. Another was specifically a book on flowers.

There was a book on fragrances, detailing the history on the subject and the effects they can have on people. The rest of the books were on subjects such as math, history, science, and geography, among other things.

"These books will be what you use in your studies." Ash looked outright aghast at that. "You'll be given assigned chapters and worksheets to deal with. When you are traveling on the road, you will use this." She next hands him a tablet computer. "This tablet has digital copies of those books installed on it that you can easily look up, as well as activities to work on."

"I... why can't I just use this all the time if the books are on it?" The young trainer shakes his head as Pikachu pokes at the books. "Why am I even doing all of this?! What's with the math, science, and even the fragrances book?!" He holds the fragrances book up, just staring cross-eyed at it.

"Math, science, and the other subjects are important to learn. Basic understanding of all of those things will help you on the road, and when you come across problems that require them. These books are basic, though, so I know just where you stand."

Ash just stares. "What about you? Do YOU understand this stuff?"

"I actually took the time to finish my schooling." Erika said with a hint of pride. "Even though I started training Pokemon when I was 10, I didn't go on a journey, because I realized that learning was important, and essential if I were to be the heir to my family."

A grumble escaped Ash's lips at that. "Can't help it I wanted to get away from all that as soon as I could."

"Did you dislike going to school that much, Ashley?"

"Well... the only thing I really liked was playing baseball. I pitched for my school's team and was awesome!" He smirked. "It's why I already have some good aim in throwing my Pokeballs." His smirk turned into a frown. "But I didn't care about anything else. I didn't get along with the others all that well." He didn't want to mention that a lot of the other kids tended to bully him because he never knew his father and only saw him in a photo.

Erika nodded. "I see, so instead of having to keep on dealing with others you didn't connect that well with, you decided to leave home on a journey when you hit 10-years-old."

"I thought the day I could leave would never arrive." At her questioning gaze, he continued. "I was born on May 22nd."

"What- oh!" Erika realized what Ash was getting at. Young trainers typically left home on the April after their 10th birthday. If Ash's birthday was on May 22nd, and he had to wait until the following April before he could officially begin his journey, then... "You're 11?"

Ash nodded. It was in the time between meeting AJ and his Sandshrew, and encountering the Pokemon Technical Instittue with Giselle that he turned 11. He had even made a big deal about it, and in celebration, Brock made them all a really amazing meal.

Deciding that he wanted to change the subject and get back to the matter at hand, he lifted up the book on fragrances. "Why do I have to learn this stuff?"

"Ah, remember, Ashley, Celadon Gym manufactures perfumes, and we also run a perfume shop." She notices him scrunching up his nose. "I understand that you don't care much for perfume, but it is honestly best to learn about the various kinds fragrances. In doing so, you'll be able to identify certain aromas such as flowers or herbs. That is why I would also like to have you help work part time at the perfume shop from time to time."

"Whaaaaat? Oh come on, why do I have to do some part time work?"

Erika wagged a finger. "I do believe we discussed having you pay for the damage to Misty's bike, right?" Ash reluctantly nodded. "While I'm not holding you accountable for what happened with the gym any more, you still have the responsibility to pay back Misty for taking her bike and causing it to get destroyed. Being responsible for what you do is something else you need to learn."

Ash sighed out. He just wanted to train!

"There is just one more thing I have to give you."

The young Pokemon trainer groaned at that. "What now?" He watched her walk away and return, this time with an object that that piqued his interest. "What's that? An egg?"

"Yes, it's a Pokemon egg." The egg was a nice shade of solid green. "This is another lesson in responsibility, as well as being a member of the Celadon Gym. For all of my new trainers, I like to give them a Pokemon egg as one of their first tasks. Taking care and nurturing a Pokemon egg until it hatches, and then raising the Pokemon that hatches, helps build character and responsibility."

"What Pokemon is it?" There was a surge of excitement coursing through Ash's body. He was getting a new Pokemon! Granted, it was only an egg at the moment, and he had to wait for it to eventually hatch, but he was getting a new Pokemon!

"Telling you would ruin the surprise. All you need to know is that it's a grass type." She holds the egg out for him to take.

What Pokemon was going to hatch from it was all Ash could think about as he reached out and took the egg into his own hands. As the egg touched his hands, there was a very faint spark of light blue that flared, but had gone unnoticed by everyone present. As the young trainer held the egg, he went silent as a flash of... something shot through his mind. It was almost as if he could feel a sense of comfort from the egg; that it felt safe right now.

The feeling promptly disappeared, and Ash proceeded to forget about it in favor of allowing an excited and amazed look to appear across his features. "Oh man, this is so cool! I got an egg! I've never seen a Pokemon hatch before. This is going to be amazing!" He turned quickly to Pikachu. "Pikachu, look, we're going to have a new buddy!"

Pikachu's ears twitched as he stared at the egg. This meant a new companion to be able to hang around with. "Chu-pika!" His tiny hand extended out and touched the egg, and he, too, wondered what Pokemon would hatch from it.

"How long will it take to hatch?"

"That depends. A few days to perhaps a few weeks. It all depends on when the Pokemon inside of the egg is ready to break out."

Ash nodded. "So then I need to take care of it until then." That shouldn't be too hard. He just needed to keep it safe.

"Miss Erika." One of the girls popped her head in. "There are some deliveries that have arrived for Ashley. Your maid picked them up and they're waiting at your house."

"Oh, thank you." Erika smiled, then turned to Ash. "Do you suppose that your new Pokedex has arrived?"

"... that was fast." It had only been almost a day since he had talked to his mother. The professor must have used super express delivery or something.

* * *

Sure enough, Ash's new Pokedex was indeed waiting for him back at Erika's place, complete with the new ID in place for his identify as Ashley, as well as instructions on how to transfer the dex data on over to the new one.

What also awaited his arrival, however, was something that caused him to sweat. His mother actually had sent him clothing; several packages worth of clothing, to be precise. Different outfits of varying styles that looked like they would actually fit. They were in great condition, too, for clothes that his mom hadn't worn in well over a decade.

"I dunno about this." He said as he looked over a white straw hat with a pink stripe and bow on it.

"Look on the bright side, Ashley." Erika's eyes examined the clothing. "At least you won't have to worry about shopping for clothes at the moment. A couple of the girls at the gym expressed interest in taking you on a shopping trip."

Ash shivered at the thought of being dragged around clothing stores and being forced into a bunch of clothing. Maybe this really was a blessing. He'd have to thank his mother. "Maybe you're right." Realization dawned in his eyes as he looked back at his Pokedex. "But hey, now I don't have to worry about the ID feature, right Pikachu?"

"Chu!" Pikachu nods, wearing a cabbie hat that he found.

"Man, I really wish I can get out there and get more badges right about now!" He realized something. "That's right! I still need to get your badge, Erika."

"How many badges do you currently have, Ashley?"

The question caused Ash to go quiet. "Well... I only have three badges right now." He reaches into a drawer and pulls out the Boulder, Cascade, and Thunder badges. "We were on our way to Saffron because there's supposed to be a gym there, but we got lost in the forest. I guess we kinda overshot the place and ended up on the road to Celadon." He and Misty got into a real heated argument about who was to blame for it, and were once again broken up by Brock who suggested they just continue to Celadon and go to Saffron later.

Of course, it didn't help that he felt too ashamed at his lack of badges to even attempt to talk to Prof. Oak. He'd probably tell him that Gary had all the badges already or something. Not to mention he hadn't caught many Pokemon yet, and he was certain that the professor would be disappointed in him over that. If he were to get the Celadon Badge, however, then maybe he wouldn't look like as much of an amateur.

But then, would he be ready for Erika? She hadn't gotten around to teaching him any of her techniques or training tips or anything. He wanted to get stronger before challenging her, to make sure he would be able to beat her. Maybe if he managed to watch some more of her gym battles, he'd develop some strategy to use.

In the mean time, however, he would work on getting a few more badges and get a little stronger in doing so. He could go to Saffron and get that badge, and then come back and figure out his next move.

"Erika, I want to go to Saffron."

"Saffron? Are you sure about that? If you went there, you would be up against Sabrina." She had to let a frown appear on her lips.

"Sabrina?"

"Yes, Sabrina is the Gym Leader of Saffron City. The Pokemon under her employ are Psychic types. She, too, has psychic powers."

"Whoa, really? You mean she can move stuff with her mind?" Ash placed his hands to his head and mimicked being psychic.

Erika nodded. "And various other things of immense capability." She crossed her arms. "But I do not know if you are ready, Ashley. None of your Pokemon are exactly suitable to be facing such an opponent as Sabrina."

"Is that a challenge?"

'Still so headstrong and stubborn.' Erika thought, observing Ash as he gave her a look of pure determination. 'Perhaps this could be another lesson in humility for him. Though, this is Sabrina to consider.'

Weighing the options, she turned her attention back to her student. "Okay then, Ashley, you may go challenge Sabrina. However, there are some things you must be aware of before you do."

Ash was celebrating in victory on the inside. "What's that?"

"As I said, Sabrina is a Psychic-type trainer. Psychic types are most effective against Fighting and Poison, meaning that two of your Pokemon would have a horrible disadvantage. They have a weakness to Bug, Dark, and Ghost types, of which you have none of right now. They do not affect Dark Types, and are only half as effective against Steel Types... of which you also have none of."

There was definitely a lot of 'not haves' to that rundown, Ash realized.

"If you are going to go fight Sabrina, then while on your way there, you should try to find one of those types that go well against them, because Psychic Pokemon are not to be taken lightly." She places a finger to her chin. "Steel and Ghost types aren't exactly that common around these parts, so those may be out as an option. As for Bug and Dark types, you might find one on your way there." Her face turned stern. "I want, no, I expect you to at least find one of those types before you challenge Sabrina. Taking her lightly is not something you should do, in and out of a Pokemon battle."

Ash felt a bit nervous now. "Is she really that dangerous?"

"She... well... Sabrina isn't really a bad person." How could Erika explain? "How do I put this? She has issues, and many trainers who have faced her seem unwilling to explain things further. Due to this, she's been getting less and less trainers challenging her due to word of her infamy spreading. Most trainers just choose to skip her and go for some other gym instead."

Ash was silent as he listened. Sabrina sounded foreboding, but at the same time, he was very curious. Maybe if he beat her, he'd become known as 'The Trainer Who Defeated The Infamous Sabrina'! Though that title was a bit long.

"I think I'll be fine, and I'll be careful to not get in any kind of trouble."

"If you're sure about this, Ashley. You can leave for Saffron in the morning. It shouldn't take you too long to get there." She honestly wasn't sure about this, but perhaps she could look at it as a challenge for the boy. To see if he could manage to overcome barriers.

"Alright! Are you ready to go face Sabrina for a badge, Pikachu?" Ash turned his attention to his Pokemon, and nearly fell onto his face when he noted that had curled up in some sheets, frightened by the story.

"Pi." He shivered a bit. Sabrina sounded scary.

* * *

Author's Notes: So initially the story was only supposed to have one point of alteration. That being the Erika gym battle. However, I found myself considering the idea of another altering point in that Ash and co. managed to miss going to Saffron City due to getting lost on the way. This caused a time displacement butterfly effect that caused a few other changes in the way of Ash not revealing himself and some other aspects.


	6. Travel Time

Celadon's New Blossom

Ash turned his head and looked towards the outskirts of Celadon City, Pikachu standing next to him as they stopped. Even though it had only been two days since he first arrived, it felt weird to be able to leave – albeit briefly – so soon. He had figured that with his new duties and responsibilities, it would have taken a little longer before he could continue on his journey to obtain his badges. Thankfully, that wasn't the case.

Adjusting his hat, Ash looked down at the outfit that he wore, unable to hold in the slight blush that graced his cheeks. His upper wear consisted of a light pink, sleeveless baby doll shirt. Though it lacked sleeves, there were little flared flaps that rested on top of the shoulders. Darker pink existed around the border of the collar neck, as well as a band around the lower chest area. A black ribbon was attached to the center chest area. The bottom of the shirt was frilled.

His pants were a pair of light blue capris that ended just below the knees, and his shoes consisted of a pair of pink mary janes. Around his neck was a pink ribbon tied into a bow, and around his left wrist was a pink flower bracelet with red beads. Upon his head was the white straw hat with pink band and ribbon that he had examined previously.

It was one of the various outfits that his mother had sent him along with the Pokedex replacement from Oak. His method of choosing the outfit to wear was to place each set down and toss a Pokeball with his eyes closed. Whichever outfit the Pokeball landed on was to be the outfit he wore. Much to his embarrassment, that one was the one chosen.

He had to admit that while there was quite a bit of pink to it, the outfit didn't really feel all that odd to wear. It was actually comfortable, not to mention light weight and cool in regards to the current mild weather. The hat also did a good job of keeping the sun out of his eyes. Embarrassing though it may be, he was more excited about the upcoming gym match he would have once he got to Saffron.

"You ready to go, Pikachu?" He asked is Pokemon, tugging on the strap to the green duffel bag that hung from his shoulder. Erika had given him the bag to carry all of the things he'd need on the trip. His Pokeballs and Pokedex were stored in a side pocket for easy getting to, not to mention the phone that he now had thanks to Erika's insisting. It was mainly so he could keep in contact with her, but perhaps he'd also add his mother's number to it.

From one of the girls at the Celadon Gym, he now had a badge case to store his badges in... not to mention a brush and mirror that they had sneaked into the bag. His tablet with all of his readings was also there, and even contained a map and GPS feature to it. Some food and drink were added for emergency, and the last item within his bag for now was the egg he received from Erika, stored safely in a clear dome case.

Pikachu nodded. "Pikapi!" He was glad to finally be able to travel again as well. Though there was something that felt missing. Two someones, that is.

His trainer was also aware of this as he frowned. "Misty and Brock are still visiting those other towns." It was quite a while since he had been on his own with Pikachu. Actually, it was just after initially leaving Pallet. Not having his two friends with him for company was disconcerting, and made him feel a little lonely.

He was pulled out of his musings when Pikachu climbed up onto his shoulders and nuzzled his cheek. That's right, he still had Pikachu with him. He'll be able to get this over with and then have an adventure to tell to Misty and Brock when he saw them again.

Rubbing Pikachu's cheek, he smirked. "Well, buddy, let's do this." Adjusting his hat again, he finally started to push forward again along the path.

… only to bump shoulders against someone who was walking a bit too quickly and unmindful of someone before them. "Why don't you watch where you're going?" They glared in annoyance.

"You're the one who bumped into me." Ash responded in annoyance, managing to keep his Ashley voice active.

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded, sparks flaring from his cheeks.

Staring at the person before him, Ash noted that it was a boy around the same age as him with short purple hair and slightly thick eyebrows on his stern-looking face.

"That wouldn't have happened if you had watched where you were walking. Then you would have been able to step to the side." He shook his head. "Common sense must be something that's lacking in this region. Whatever, this is a waste of time." Turning around, he started walking towards Celadon.

"Wait a second! I'm not finished talking to you!"

"If I spend all of my time trying to talk to spaced out girls, I'll never get anything done." He answered back, his head turned to look at him. "You've already caused a bit of a delay, meaning I could have been at the Celadon Gym a few seconds earlier than I will be now." So saying, he looked ahead and disappeared into the city.

Ash's fist clenched, the Pokemon trainer seething in annoyance. "Yeah, well, I hope you lose!" He shouted, nobody really around to hear it. He hated coming across cocky jerks like that. From his comment on the region, he must have been from some other region. "Never even got his name. Ah well, let's go, Pikachu!" Raising a fist into the air, he started marching forward. Hopefully he'd never meet that trainer again.

Pikachu, forgetting about the rude trainer in favor of getting back to moving out, smiled brightly. "Pi!"

* * *

They were actually making rather good time. The duo had left Celadon early, being told that if they were lucky, they would be able to arrive at Saffron around nightfall, or perhaps even the next day. Ash, while hoping that they got to Saffron as early as possible, remembered that he needed to find a Bug, Dark, or Ghost type before reaching his match with Sabrina. Otherwise, as Erika had stressed, he would be at a complete disadvantage.

Unfortunately, as hard as he looked, he couldn't find any of those types. Of course, he reasoned, it'd probably be easier to find a Ghost type at night. In his searching, Ash's findings ranged from Pidgeys and Rattata to other, more interesting, Pokemon such as Growlithe, Seedot, Bellsprout, other Mankeys, Sentret, Nidorans, and even other Meowth. All interesting and neat, as well as useful for using his Pokedex on, but not what he was looking for.

"Where are all of the Dark or Bug types?" He asked, growing a bit impatient at his inability to find what he needed. He watched as Pikachu actually took the time to look under a tiny rock. A centipede was under it, but that wasn't a Pokemon.

"Miss, are you looking for Dark type Pokemon?" Hearing the voice, Ash turned to see a slightly older boy riding a bicycle. "That's what you just asked, right?"

"Yeah! Do you know where I could find some?" The crossdressing boy asked with a hint of hope in both his face and eyes

The boy blushed slightly as he lifted his goggles. The girl before him was definitely cute. "Yeah, you just keep going down the road to Saffron until you come across the Underground Path."

"Underground Path?"

"It connects this route to route 8, and passes under Saffron. Not to mention intersects with the one connecting Routes 5 and 6." At a nod from who he thought was a girl, he continues. "A bunch of Dark type Pokemon have recently made the area their territory, making it nearly impossible for most people to use the paths."

Ash's lips quickly turned into a smile. "That's all I needed to know, thanks! Let's go, Pikachu!" With that, he was off like a rocket in the direction the boy said.

"W- wait!" The bicyclist's shout wasn't heard due to the target already disappearing into the distance. He didn't even get to ask the girl her name!

* * *

Poking their heads out of a bush, Ash and Pikachu spied carefully on the view in front of them. Before them stood a small building that was likely just one room in size. The condition was good, as if it was routinely kept up to date. All in all, nothing looked out of the ordinary except for a couple of Pokemon who seemed to be standing guard at the doorway.

Curious to know as to what kind of Pokemon they were, Ash took out his Pokedex and pointed at them. _"_ _Houndour, the Dark Pokémon. Houndour travel in packs and communicate though barks in order to surround their prey."_

"I guess that's why they're guarding the door, huh Pikachu?" If they made their presence known, the dog Pokemon would likely bark instantly and draw out all of the other dark types that were probably in the area. "What to do..."

"Pikapi?" Pikachu flared his cheeks slightly, signaling that he was ready to shock the Houndours.

Ash was about to respond to his Pokemon when he noticed that the Houndour's ears seemed to perk up, as if they were alerted to something. Before he could think on it, a Charmander jumped into a view with a boy close behind. "There goes that plan." Not that he actually had much of one.

"Good, Zippo, now use Slash!" The boy commanded, and the Charmander rushed up and slashed at one of the Houndours, knocking it back.

The other growled and let out a howl, alerting whatever Dark types that were nearby to the presence of an attacker trying to mess with them. As if on cue, a few more Houndour rushed out of the surrounding brush, along with a few Poochyena. Some Murkrow flew in from the trees, cawing at the top of their lungs.

Ash took the time to quickly dex both the Poochyena and Murkrow

" _Murkrow, the Darkness Pokémon. Murkrow confuse would-be attackers by luring them into dark mountain trails, where they are sure to get lost.."_

" _Poochyena, the Bite Pokemon. At first sight, Poochyena takes a bite at anything that moves. This Pokémon chases after prey until the victim becomes exhausted. However, it may turn tail if the prey strikes back."_

'They all sound a bit tricky.' Ash thought, looking back up to see the boy surrounded by the Pokemon. As a couple of Murkrow went to dive bomb him, Ashley let out a command. "It's time to use Thunderbolt, Pikachu!"

Pikachu jumped out from within the hiding spot and let loose a strong Thunderbolt that struck the Murkrow and some of the other Pokemon. After which, Ash followed and made his way over to the other kid.

"Hey, you alright there?"

The other boy laughed a bit, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm fine, I just didn't expect them to alert the others so soon." He looked down at Pikachu, and then back to Ash. "Nice Pikachu, and thanks by the way. My name's Ritchie."

"Ashley. Looks like they're regrouping." Adjusting his hat, Ash stood and watched as the Poochyena and Houndour got into a circle. The Murkrow were off to the side, dealing with a bit of paralysis.

"Looks like it." Ritchie responded, recalling his charmander back into his Pokeball. "Maybe two heads are better than one in this instance. Come out, Sparky!" He tossed another Pokeball, and from out of it came a pikachu. It looked similar to Ash's, but with a noticeable tuft of hair on its head.

"Hey, you got a Pikachu too."

"Pika!" Pikachu gives Sparky a thumbs up, who smiles back happily in return.

With two Pikachu in hand, they manage to quickly clear back the Dark group that had them surrounded. True to the Pokedex entry, the Poochyena turned and ran away. The Houndour backed away, bumping into the door to the Underground, growling as they did so. Their growling ceased, however, as the doorknob turned, and the door itself slowly opened.

Ash readied himself, as did Ritchie. "Something is coming."

Sure enough, a trio of Nuzleaf exited the building, shouting at the dog Pokemon, likely over being frightened so easily. As they bickered, Ash brought out his Pokedex.

" _Nuzleaf, the Wily Pokemon. It lives in densely overgrown forests. They occasionally venture out of the forest to scare people. This Pokémon dislikes having its long nose pinched."_

Perhaps a Nuzleaf would be a good capture for facing Sabrina. His musings were broken as he heard Ritchie's statement. "There's another one coming out!"

A hand gripped onto the entry way, and the body attached to it soon skulked out into the open. It was a Scrafty, who ran a hand against the crest on its head and looked towards Ash, Ritchie, and their Pikachu. It then looked towards the Houndour, giving an intimidating shrug towards them.

" _Scrafty, the Hoodlum Pokémon. Scrafty are more commonly found in the Unova region, and it is rare to see a wild one in Kanto."_

'A really rare Pokemon to see in the region! That would be so amazing to obtain.' Excited, he looked at Ritchie. "I wanna try capturing it." Looking at the Pokedex, it said it was a Dark and Fighting type, and that it would be susceptible to Fighting types. As such, he knew which Pokemon to use.

"Huh? Oh, uh, sure." Ritchie replied, a bit surprised at the sudden interest. He was going to say the same thing after hearing the dex entry, but figured it was probably best to let the girl try first. Besides, he wondered what other Pokemon she had.

Noting the Pokeball, the Scrafty pointed at Ash and gave a command. The Nuzleaf, in response, rushed towards the group, but were too late as the Pokeball was tossed.

From out of the Pokeball emerged Primeape, stomping his feet against the ground and already pumped up to do something. On his head was the Pokemon League Expo hat. "Priya-ya!" It let out, noticing the Nuzleaf rushing at it. Three against one? That was such unfair odds, and borderline cheating! "Priiiiii..." He let out, clenching his fists at these upstarts.

The trio of Nuzleaf attempted to summon up leaf blades, but never got the chance. Primeape was quicker on the draw, rushing them and delivering a few good punches that knocked them back towards the Scrafty.

"Good job, Primeape! That's the way to do it!"

Looking towards the cheer, Primeape noted his trainer, and blushed slightly at seeing the new outfit. Ash also seemed really happy, and was congratulating him on a job well done. This was a super good thing. "Priya-ya!" Reaching up, he grabbed the brim of the hat he was wearing and turned it backwards before proceeding to cross his arms and try to make an awesome pose.

"Ha ha," Ash let out, scratching his cheek. "Glad to see he's putting the hat to use."

"Chu" Pikachu let out, speaking a little to Sparky, who seemed to laugh a bit.

Ritchie wondered what was so funny, but also noted the hat Primeape was wearing. "Hey, isn't that an official Pokemon League Expo hat?"

"Yeah, it used to be mine, but Primeape got a bit too attached to it, so I kinda let him wear it." He omitted the fact that it took a bit of convincing from other people to do just that.

Scrafty, feeling as if Primeape was attempting to show off and one up it in some way, growled and pushed the Nuzleaf away. "Scraf!" Brushing a hand against its head comb, it then proceeded to do a pose, pointing directly at Primeape as if challenging it to a battle of pride! "Scra-scra tee!"

What did that thing just call him? And it was pointing at him. That was two insults for the price of one! Primeape proceeded to stamp its foot angrily against the ground in response. "Pri—ya ape-ya pri!"

Scrafty reacted as if it had been shot, recoiling back and lifting a hand to place it on its head comb. "Scraaaaaa!" It proceeded to stomp forward, growling out some insults back.

"Pri?" Points to the hat on his head, vein popping in annoyance. How dare it say that about the hat! He proceeded to stomp forward as well.

Soon, both Scrafty and Primeape were standing directly before each other, staring at one another in complete defiance, daring the other to say just one more word.

"Um... guys?" Ash asked, sweat-drop appearing as he tilted his head to the side. It was times like this where he wished he could understand what Pokemon were saying. Whatever was going on must have been rather intense.

Scrafty quickly made a move, attempting to grab Primeape in an arm lock!

"Primeape, Mega Kick!" Complying with the command, Primeape broke free of the grab and landed a solid kick on his opponent, sending the Scrafty flying back towards the doorway to the Underground.

Landing on its butt, Scrafty scrambled to get back up when a displeased voice sounded from behind and coming from inside. Turning around, it got on its knees and bowed deep in apology, attempting to come up with an excuse.

"Is there... something ELSE in there as well?" Ritchie asked, surprised that so many Pokemon were hidden in just that area.

As if to answer the question, a foot lashed out and kicked the Scrafty away from the door, and out stepped the Pokemon that was inside, looking a bit annoyed at everything.

"It's a Pinsir." Ash piped up, remembering that kind of Pokemon from back when he met Samurai.

"You think it was the boss of them all? Judging from how that Scrafty is acting?"

Indeed, for the Scrafty was attempting to explain itself to the Pinsir, and why it and the others were having so much trouble. However, the Pinsir seemed to be having none of it as it turned slightly and waved a claw, giving the other Pokemon a complete brush off.

"Scraaaaa..." Some tears flowed from the Scrafty's eyes. It had just been told it was useless and of no use to the Pinsir if it was just going to allow itself to be embarrassed so much. It's not like it really had anywhere to go, being lost in this dumb region and all.

It realized quickly, though, just whose fault it was. Getting back up, it turned to Primeape and pointed at it. "Scraf scra tee!" It wouldn't forget this embarrassment and insult. Turning around, it quickly rushed off into the brush.

"W- wait!" Ash yelled after it, before slumping in defeat, some tears at the corner of his eyes. "I wanted to catch iiiiiiiiiiit." He felt Ritchie pat him on the shoulder, and Pikachu pat him on the leg. "W- well whatever. There's still that Pinsir. I could use it to challenge Sabrina!"

"You're actually going to challenge Sabrina?" Ritchie asked. He had just come from Saffron, planning to do so himself. However some man in a jogging suit had managed to convince him that it would be a horrible idea to do so, and convinced him to try for some other badge at another gym.

Pinsir looked towards Ash, staring at him for a moment. It then looked towards Primape, examining him a little. After a moment, it tilted its body up a little, as if giving them the snub.

"Priya!" Primeape hated that action. It was as if the Pinsir was saying he wasn't worthy of fighting it at all. That got his blood boiling as he lifted up a clenched fist shaking it at the other Pokemon. His anger and blood pressure reacted, and soon flames surrounded his fist.

"What is..." Ash pointed his Pokedex.

" _Fire Punch. The user coats its fist in flames to deliver a fiery jab."_

"So cool! Primeape learned a new move! Go Primeape, use your Fire Punch on Pinsir!"

Pinsir turned back towards Primeape, only to find the flaming fist connected to its cheek. However, it managed to grab the pig monkey's wrist and toss him. After which, it winced and rubbed the spot that was now burned.

Some anger surged through. How dare that... uncouth creature leave such a mark on the face of a beautiful lady like that?! This day started out so well too. Her grunts had found some delicious tree sap for her to enjoy. However it all went out the window once these children came and started to make a mockery of things.

Pinsir focused on Primape just in time to take another Fire Punch to the face. Only... she didn't, and her form poofed into smoke.

"That was Substitute!" Ritchie shouted, allowing Ash to know what the move was.

Ash was about to ask when Pinsir suddenly appeared on Primeape's flank and launched a horned body blow that sent the pig monkey rolling. "Primeape, you okay?!"

"Priya!" The Pokemon got up, not really much worse for ware. However, his rage reached a pique, and he was soon thrashing about in annoyance. Without a command, he rushed at Pinsir and tried for another punch, only to have his opponent disappear in a poof again.

"Ah no, he lost control of himself." Ash realized that Primeape's rage currently clouded his rationality, and that could swing this either in his favor or out of it. It didn't help that Pinsir was capable of using Substitute and vanishing like that.

It was at that point that Ash noticed a slight displacement . "Primeape, to your left! Fire Punch!"

"Priya!" Even amidst his rage, Primeape could faintly hear the voice of his trainer. Reacting, he turned to his side and delivered the flaming fist to the head of his attacker.

The punch connected, and Pinsir went flying backwards, tumbling to the ground on her back and skidding along the dirt. Groaning a little, she got up onto her knee and winced at the burn she sported. Fist clenched, she glared at Primeape, who glared back in defiance. This wasn't over yet. She could still fight! She could-

"Go Pokeball!" Ash yelled out as the ball went flying, bumping against Pinsir's horn and activating, sucking her in. The ball fell to the ground and wiggled about as the Bug Pokemon attempted to free herself. A second wiggle, and Ash stared intently in hope. A third shake, and suddenly...

 _ **Ding!**_

With that, Ash let out a shout of Joy as he rushed over and picked the Pokeball up, Pikachu hot on his heels. "Look, Pikachu, we did it! We caught a Bug type."

"Chu-pika!" Pikachu gave a thumbs up.

Without missing a beat, Ash was then at Primeape, grabbing him by his hand. "Thanks, buddy. You did a really awesome job!"

"Primaaaaay" The pig monkey let out, a little embarrassed at the praise. As Pikachu congratulated him, he reached up and scratched the back of his head. That praise felt good, "Priya!" He quickly proceeded to flex his muscles in victory.

The Pokeball containing Pinsir glowed faintly as sparks danced about it. Almost instantly, it disappears. "Ah right, I got six Pokemon already." Thinking about it, Ash wondered if he should use the button on his dex to quickly trade in Pinsir, or finally call Prof. Oak and see how it was doing there. "Maybe I'll call the professor."

"Your Primeape is really strong, Ashley!" Ritchie shouted, running up to him. "You're great as well, being able to spot where the Pinsir would becoming from."

Ash rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, well, you know." Was he letting the praise go to his head slightly? Perhaps.

"When did you start out as a trainer?"

"Um... in April, so I've been a Pokemon trainer for a little over three months so far."

"How many badges do you have?"

"I..." Ash couldn't help but fidget a little at the question. He was behind in badges, and realized that. Fiddling with the ribbon around his neck, he answered. "Three."

"Really? Only three? I have four." Ritchie was surprised that the girl before him only had three, yet seemed like she would have more.

"Yeah, well, I was going to get my fourth badge at Celeadon, but then I became Erika's apprentice. So I'm training under a gym leader." He brushed his blonde bangs to the side a little. Him? Getting a big nose over this? Not at all. "It's only been a couple days, though."

"Apprentice to a Gym Leader? Wow, that makes the idea of currently being short on badges not so bad." It really wasn't. If you could get personal training, then going for other badges would be a cinch. "I'm sure you'll be able to get Sabrina's badge no problem then!" He looks around for a moment, feeling the urge to work on improving and getting better so that if he had to face Ashley in a battle someday, he'd be sure he could win against the girl.

"Well, I need to get going. I'm heading to Celadon to get my next badge. See you later, Ashley." He waved before starting to walk away. "C'mon Sparky, let's get a move on."

"Kachu." Sparky held out his tail to Pikachu.

"Pika!" Pikachu answered, shaking the other electric mouse's tail before watching it take off to follow the other trainer.

Recalling Primeape back into his ball, Ash picked Pikachu up. "Maybe we'll encounter each other again sometime." He said before looking into the distance before them. Saffron city was actually close by. "Wow, look at those huge buildings. How could we have missed It before?"

"Chu" Pikachu shrugged, wondering the same.

As Ash walked towards the city, he felt a slight shiver run down his spine, as if someone was watching him. However, he shrugged the feeling off and kept going.

Elsewhere, a young woman sitting in a throne stared ahead as she envisioned the scene with Ash walking in her head. In her lap was what appeared to be a cute little girl in a white and pink dress and wide-brimmed hat.

"It looks like someone is actually coming to play." She stated in a monotone voice.

* * *

Author's Notes: Paul apparently ventured through Hoenn, Johto, and Kanto before doing so in his home region of Sinnoh, starting with Kanto. So I figured that perhaps it means he could have been traveling through Kanto the same time as Ash, leading the way to a brief encounter between the two.


	7. Power of the Mind

Celadon's New Blossom

Ash took in his surroundings with awe as he walked through the streets of Saffron City. He had managed to reach his destination as the Sun was going down over the horizon, casting a rather nice glow on the buildings and skyscrapers that towered unnervingly over both him and Pikachu.

Having spent the majority of his – rather young – life living in the small town of Pallet, sights like this were only something he had managed to see in books, pictures, and on TV. Celadon was a large city as well, but the density of its buildings wasn't as smushed together as it was in Saffron.

It was to the young trainer's immense relief that he and Pikachu had managed to at least find the Pokemon Center after just a little bit of exploring and asking a few people for directions. Due to how late it was getting, many he tried asking were clearly in a hurry to get home for the night after a long day of work.

Upon reaching and entering through the doors to the Pokemon Center, Ash made a quick beeline towards one of the phones and proceeded to punch in the number to Professor Oak. It wasn't long before the older man answered, in the midst of eating what was clearly a noodle bowl. "Hi Professor."

"Oh, Ash – or is it Ashley at the moment? Well now, I do say that you definitely look the part. I wasn't really sure what to make of things after only seeing the photo, but seeing you in person shows just how convincing it is!" He laughed in humor, causing the 11-year-old he was talking to to panic slightly and look around to make sure that nobody was in earshot.

Blushing deeply, Ash responded to the man in a whispering voice. "Professor, keep it down! I don't want anybody else to know about this!" He didn't think he could handle the idea of things being blown so quickly and easily.

"You don't- Oh! Yes, that's right. It would be troubling now, wouldn't it?" Oak asked, rubbing his chin in thought. A Pokemon Trainer's journey always was fraught with many strange twist and turns, though some trainers did experience... stranger situations than others. "Well, as I was saying, you do make a lovely looking young girl. Though I imagine that in itself does little to ease your embarrassment in the matter." He taps his chopsticks against his bowl. "Perhaps a Haiku will help the matters. A Pokem-"

"I'll pass on the Haiku, Professor!" Ash's face was completely red by this point. The professor's attempts to help only made matters even worse. As Pikachu hopped onto the table, he got to the matter at hand. "Professor, I'm wondering if you've seen my latest capture yet."

Oak seemed a disappointed at being interrupted from his Haiku, but perked up at the mention of Pinsir. "Ah yes! I did see your Pinsir, and I must say that I'm impressed you managed to capture quite the specimen." Taking a bite of his noodles, he continued. "Where are you by the way? Are you still in Celadon?"

"I'm currently in Saffron City. I decided to challenge Sabrina for her badge."

"Then I take it that you have at least four badges already, considering you've been in Celadon?"

Ash fidgeted at the question. "I... still have only three badges." Pikachu gave him a comforting nose bump on the hand.

"Only three badges? Last I heard, your fellow trainers from Pallet have each obtained five badges." He takes a sip of tea. "However, you are in the unique situation of having a good excuse for being behind in badges. Training and working on improving yourself is just as important as defeating gyms. This way you'll be better prepared."

Ash felt a bit of relief that the professor was at least a bit understandable to his plight. However, knowing that Gary and the other two already had five rubbed him the wrong way. He really needed to get a move on.

"I should also note that Gary has already managed to catch 30 Pokemon."

And then the relief crashed down with incredible force. "30?" He counted on his fingers. With the recent acquisition of Pinsir, that left him with... eight Pokemon that he currently had in his possession? Not counting the egg? Fiddling a little with the ribbon around his neck, his thoughts on the matter soon shifted to another matter. "... hey professor? How's Krabby doing? It's been a while since I've seen it."

"Ah, Krabby, yes, hold on for a moment." Oak moved away from the video, returning not long after with the crab Pokemon in his hands. "Krabby is a great help around the lab, and even likes to relax during tea time."

"Hi Krabby!"

"Pika!"

Krabby stares at Ash for a moment, as if attempting to figure out who the girl before it was. After a moment, it finally dawned on it. "Kuki!" Humans sure were talented at changing their appearances so easily. Though the crab Pokemon found itself enjoying this appearance more than the other look.

"I'll see you later, Krabby!" A thought occurred to Ash that maybe he should spend some time with Krabby sometime. He wondered just how strong the little crab was. "Professor, I was told a couple months ago that in order to exchange my Pokemon, I just need to press the button on my Pokedex to make a transfer, right?"

Prof. Oak hrms at that. "That feature does work like that, yes, but there are a few factors involved with it." He noted the young trainer's curiosity. "You see, the feature is best used when a trainer's Pokemon and Pokeballs are all stored in neat order and waiting for them in a storage facility. While this IS convenient for the trainer, it can be inconvenient for the Pokemon due to them just waiting around within their balls."

Ash nods.

"Now, while Pokeballs are excellent devices for long-term storage, and the Pokemon inside are kept within a specialized stasis with no physical harm to them, I and various others are of the mind that Pokemon should be able to frequently enjoy time outside of their Pokeballs. It allows them to keep their moral up, as well as allows them to interact with others."

"So then..."

"That feature of the Pokedex, while potentially serving to be a convenient feature, is a relic that doesn't serve as much of a purpose any more as it did when it was first designed with full storage systems in mind. You can say that it was mainly a concept I worked on to see if it was possible, but I just don't feel right about the way the feature ended up. I'm actually working on designing a newer version of the dex that won't have as many unnecessary buttons. I just need more time to brainstorm on it." He sips his tea. "So if you need to switch Pokemon, just contact me and I can send you which Pokemon you need."

Soon, Ash held the Pokeball containing Pinsir within his hands. He had needed to trade one one of his other Pokemon over to Oak in exchange for the beetle Pokemon. Though he was reluctant about the decision, he figured that Pidgeotto was the best choice to send to Oak at the moment.

Excited about the idea of getting to know the newest member to the group, he and Pikachu quickly made their way out of the Pokemon Center, and to the small park area that was just across the way from the building. The Sun had fully set by then, and so the sky was in the midst of night. However, thanks to the various street lights, and the numerous buildings, the area was well lit.

"C'mon out, Pinsir!" With a small toss, the Pokeball opened, unleashing Pinsir from the confines of the ball. As she materialized back into the outside world, she snapped her horns together and looked around to take in her surroundings.

The first thing she noted was that she was in a different place, and the goofy older human who seemed interested in excitedly poking and examining her was no longer around, which she was glad for. Even after smacking the man away and kicking him, he hardly seemed phased. Though he did provide her with some tasty food.

Second thing she noted was that it was the little human girl in the cute clothes who caught her that was right there before her. How embarrassing, captured by some puny girl. She had figured that if she were ever caught, it would be by a much tougher looking human, and not by someone who could be blown away by a powerful enough breeze.

"Hey Pinsir!" Ash excitedly leaned forward a bit, placing a hand on the beetle Pokemon's head. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Ash- Ashley." His mind wanted to just say Ash, but he had to correct himself real quick from the stumble. "Though I can also go by Ash for short sometimes." There should be no harm in telling his Pokemon that, right? "And this is Pikachu."

Pikachu motioned to himself, standing before Pinsir. "Pika-Pikachu." He proceeded to lift up a hand towards the Bug type, offering a handshake for greeting.

Pinsir looked between Ash and Pikachu, and then at Pikachu's outstretched appendage. She really wasn't impressed by the duo at all, and gave an abrupt 'tch' as she turned to the side in a display of disrespect.

"Pi!" Pikachu frowned at the action and attempted to convey to the other Pokemon that what it did was rude, only to get a waved hand in reply. "Pika!" His cheeks crackled with electricity, none too happy about the attitude he was getting in return.

'Maybe it's not happy about being captured?' The thought ran through Ash's mind as he rubbed the back of his head. He really didn't want to have to think about having to deal with yet another uncooperative Pokemon so soon after initially dealing with Primeape, especially with how close he was to the gym match that would need said Pokemon.

As he tried to figure out what to do, Pinsir made her way to his bag, seemingly attracted by some kind of smell. Opening it up, she looked around until she found the target of her search. Quickly, she pulled out a small, wrapped object and peeled back the wrapping. Something smelled really good.

"Ah! Our anpan!" Ash let out, finally noticing what Pinsir had done. The beetle Pokemon had managed to find his and Pikachu's snack they were saving for later. As he moved over to take it back, he noticed the curious look coming from the Pokemon.

Pinsir held the sweet roll up with a look that seemed to ask 'What is this?'

"Oh, uh, that's anpan. It's a bread bun filled with red bean paste. It's kinda sweet-"

'Sweet' was all Pinsir needed to hear. As quickly as she could, she scarfed it down and promptly snatched the other one from the bag and gobbled it as well while Ash and Pikachu reached out in a panic.

"Wait!" "Pika!"

But it was too late, and all the duo could do was stare down at the crumbs at Pinsir's feet, tears flowing down their cheeks.

"Our snaaaaaaaack." Ash whined, Pikachu letting out a heartbroken 'chuu' in accompaniment.

A voice piped up from behind. "Isn't it getting a bit late for someone your age to just be wandering around a city at night?" Ash turned around to see a tall, older man dressed in a green and black jacket with light jeans, sneakers, and a cap on top of his bearded head. "Even young trainers should be getting their sleep."

"Ah, I'm just getting ready to challenge Sabrina." Though he didn't think it was really that late. The Sun had only just recently gone down, right? "But I guess I'll challenge her tomo—"

The man interrupted him. "I would suggest, young lady, that you give up on the foolish notion of trying to challenge Sabrina, and instead go challenge some other gym." His voice was stern and commanding.

"Whaddaya mean by foolish?" Ash stood up straight. Was this guy talking down to him? "I came here to challenge Sabrina, and that's what I'm going to do."

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded in response, standing next to his trainer.

The man sighed. "You have no clue just what dangers you could be getting yourself into by rushing into something you aren't prepared for. Sabrina is not someone that you can just face unless you know what you're getting into. Even then it is an ill advised decision."

Ash glared at him. Any common sense he could have turned to was dampened by the blow to his pride and ego that he felt over the words the man tossed at him. "I don't care what you say. I'm going to challenge Sabrina, and nothing you can do can convince me otherwise." He stood his ground, staring defiantly at the man... only to suddenly be nudged backwards onto his butt by an unseen force. Pikachu and Pinsir looked at him with some confusion. "What just..."

"As I said." The man's eyes glowed brightly. "You have absolutely no clue just what you are getting into. Sabrina is psychic, and routinely uses her powers against those who decide to become her opponents." Without moving a hand, he picked Ash up back onto his feet and made him do a brief ballet twirl. "If you can't deal with me, then you have no chance."

Embarrassment was evident on Ash's cheeks as he was forced to do the twirl and a pose. "H- Hey, knock that off!"

"Sabrina is much more powerful than I am with her psychic powers. What hope do you have against her when she could just twirl you around as if you were just a toy?"

Being toyed around helplessly like this slowly filled Ash with a sense of wariness. A pang of minor doubt started to creep up into his brain. If this man could do this, then just what could Sabrina do?

A small sound caused him to turn his head slightly. Off to the side, Pinsir had its arms crossed with a look of disinterest and disdain. It was as if the Pokemon was judging him at the moment, potentially deeming him as unworthy and possibly an embarrassment.

'I can't back out here!' Ash thought strongly with a glare. If he did, then what kind of image would he set for himself before Pinsir? He didn't want to appear as an embarrassment and incapable of doing his job as a trainer. A Pokemon Master wouldn't back down from something like this.

"I... don't care!" He shouted at the man, taking a step forward. "I am Ash- Ashley Ketchum of Pallet Town, and a student of Erika's from Celadon City. I will one day be a Pokemon Master, so I can't let something as like psychic powers keep me from my goal!" Maybe he shouldn't have said where he was from right now. Those thoughts were pushed away as he was pushed down against the ground.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu was at his trainer's side, expressing his concern.

"A stubborn little kid clearly still fresh on her journey should understand when to yield." The man actually hated to do this to aspiring trainers, but it was for their own good. If it meant embarrassing them and breaking their spirits a little at the idea of facing Sabrina, then so be it. Thankfully, most were scared away by the rumors, and so he didn't have to do this too often.

Focusing his attention back onto the trainer before him, he was moderately surprised to see that she was managing to fight against his psychic force. Though she was clearly struggling, she managed to push herself to her feet and take a couple heavy steps towards him. Strange, did he just see a faint blue spark in her eyes?

"I... can't back down now." Ash winced a bit as he took a step. He wasn't sure what it was, but he felt a surge of vigor coursing through his body. Perhaps it was just adrenaline? "I... won't back down. I'll... show you." He realized that Erika would likely lambast him for letting his foolhardy side get the better of him, but it was too hard to ignore that his pride was on the line.

The sheer pressure that his body was experiencing suddenly vanished, causing him to fall forward onto the ground from a loss of balance due to putting too much pressure in a step. "Oof!" A groan escaped him as the apparent adrenaline dissipated. Why did his muscles and body feel so sore right now? He noted Pikachu rushing over to him, and even Pinsir walking over.

"A stubborn, foolhardy young girl." The man grumbled out as he walked over, arms crossed, though his face was a little less stern. "It's against my better judgement, but perhaps you have proven yourself to have the spirit necessary to face Sabrina." He turned his eyes to Pinsir. "And you have a Bug type with you. I would have gone with a Dark type, but at least you're prepared with something against a Psychic Pokemon." Pulling out a pad and pen, he jotted something down before giving it to Pikachu. "Some quick directions to Sabrina's Gym from here."

"... thank you."

"I just hope you can handle yourself." Turning, the man took a couple of steps before teleporting away, leaving the exhausted Ash with his Pokemon.

Groaning, Ash pushed himself into a sitting position. Oh yeah, he'd be feeling that in the morning. Perhaps this was one of the things that Erika was trying to warn him against. Looking down at the worried Pikachu, he smiled reassuringly. "I'm okay, Pikachu. A little sore, but I showed him, huh?"

Pinsir just stared at the trainer before her. Initially, she did think that the one she thought of as a girl before her wasn't all that much to show for. From the nice way she smelled, to the cute and bright clothing she wore, one would naturally be under the impression that she would be like some of those other human girls that only toted around cute Pokemon.

However, after seeing the outright foolish, hardheaded, and stubborn event that had been on display before her just a moment ago, her opinion started to waver. This... Ashley wasn't weak, because any other weak human would have just allowed themselves to be pushed around and likely cave under the pressure. This girl, though, didn't; she kept going and refused to yield. That kind of attitude was something to be respected. Not to mention the girl might have some more of that sweet, tasty snack from earlier... or even other kinds!

Ash was interrupted in his chuckling when Pinsir held out a clawed hand towards him, as if the Pokemon was greeting him. "You don't mind being with me any more?" He asked, excitement surging through. At a confirming nod from his Pokemon, he let out a shout of glee and hugged the Bug close to him. "Yeah! This is so great! Don't you think so, Pikachu?"

"Pi-pika!" Pikachu gave Pinsir a thumbs up, who could only fidget a bit in embarrassment at the affection she was getting.

Ash laughed, but soon winced at being able to feel his body. "M- Maybe it would be better to challenge Sabrina tomorrow. I could use some sleep." A nice, long rest in a comfortable bed in the Pokemon Center would do just wonders. Maybe a nice bath too.

* * *

"There it is, Pikachu." Both Ash and Pikachu stared at the building that stood before them. It was early in the morning, and Ash felt much better after the events of the previous night. There was still a little soreness, but it was something he could deal with easily.

Pikachu nodded, though he was feeling a bit nervous, especially after the Nurse Joy at the Pokemon Center seemed to be a little on edge when his trainer said they were going to battle Sabrina. A few other people also had attempted to talk them out of it. Just what kind of woman was this Sabrina?

Ash raised his fist and clenched it. For a brief second, he was distracted by his still pink nails, resulting in a momentary frown, but shook the thought out of his mind. "Well, let's do this." They both made their way through the sliding glass doors and took in their surroundings. The interior of the building had a bit of a creepy feel to it; silent with a lot of pillars and glowing lights. The floor itself was spotless, shiny marble, and Ash's shoes clicked audibly as he walked along it.

"Hello?" He asked, his voice echoing along the halls. "Anybody here?" The place was eerie and strange, with no sign of people at all. At least, that was until they came to a door that was ajar. Taking a peek into the room, he was relieved to finally see other people.

Most of the people in the room seemed to sport white lab coats over their clothing, and ranged from older people in their 20's, to young kids just a little older than Ash himself. Some of them sat at tables, while a few others were off to the side interacting with different Pokemon. As he looked, he noted that they all seemed to be trying to do things with psychic powers.

He whispered to Pikachu. "I didn't know that there were so many people with psychic powers..." Granted, some of them didn't really seem to be doing all that well, but that was beside the point. "Excuse me?"

The people in the room ignored him, not even looking in his direction. He was about to say something louder when a masked man stepped into his view, blocking him from looking into the room. His brown hair was rather long, ending just a little after his back.

"What do you think you're doing, little girl?" He asked in a condescending voice that managed to raise Ash's ire. "The people in this room are working hard at honing their skills, and do not need someone like you interrupting them from their work."

"I'm just trying to figure out where Sabrina is." Ash answered, cheeks puffed up in annoyance. Next to him, Pikachu shared the look. "I'm looking to challenge her for a Marsh Badge." He was promptly bumped outside the door, the man following and closing it behind him.

"You? Challenge the great Sabrina?" The masked man laughed in disdain. "Do you even have any understanding of psychic powers, little girl?" Receiving a – rather annoyed – head shake in confirmation, he laughed again and pulled out a spoon. "Let me show you just what you're up against."

"I don't think-"

"Observe!" The man glared intently at the spoon, to bend it with his will and mind. This was always something he looked forward to. To show some little upstart the kind of things they would face at the gym. This was always his time to shine!

"Um..." Ash just stared at the man as he stared at the spoon. It was all the guy seemed like he was doing as his face got more and more red until finally, the spoon kind of just... tilted ever so slightly, leaving the man panting.

"Do... ha... you see now?" He asked smugly.

"I've seen better" It was a blunt response.

"Pika..."

The man just stared at the two of them, looking as if he had just been shot. "Y- You... fine! I'll take you to the Great Sabrina." He knew that Sabrina would be able to put this little... brat in her place easily, and he would be there to laugh.

Ash and Pikachu looked at each other warily as the older man before them started to laugh a bit maniacally at nothing in particular. However, they followed close behind, eventually reaching a set of double doors that they were allowed through. As he entered, Ash couldn't help but feel a chill run through his spine at the sight of the arena room.

Dimly lit, it looked more like some kind of temple than a gym. Flickering torches provided the current lighting, casting an eerie glow upon the room. Ash watched as the man walked over to the other side of the gym and knelt down before what appeared to be a dark throne area separated by a horizontal screen. It wouldn't look out of place in a Samurai film, and Ash half expected to see some heavy armored Shogun in the seat.

"Oh great Sabrina, a challenger has come to face your powerful might. Though from the looks of her, I can't see why you would want to even deal with her. She's just a pup coming into an Pyroar's den. A weakling." He chuckled at his own joke.

Ash continued to stare forward at the throne, waiting for an answer. Almost instantly, a figure within was illuminated by some unseen light, causing the boy to just stare in complete and total confusion. It was... a little girl. A little girl who didn't even take up half of the space of the large throne she was sitting in.

He stared even more as the little girl glowed brightly, causing the man to glow as well. Said man stood up in a panic as his hand was held close to his throat, begging for forgiveness. The glow stopped, and the man scrambled as fast as he could to run out of the room.

"I..." A bit of nervousness crept up into Ash's throat, but he swallowed it back down. "Are you really the Gym Leader Sabrina?"

The answer he got in return was a series of creepy childish giggling. "You're a cute challenger~" The girl finally said in a cute voice.

"I- uh... thanks?"

Another giggle. "Though your outward appearance may fool most people, it won't fool me. I know you're secret~" That caused Ash to sweat nervously. "And I like you. I want to play!"

"Play? You mean a Pokemon battle?" How could a girl this young be a Gym Leader?

"No, not a Pokemon battle." Giggles "I just want to play. It's been so long since someone new has come around, so I want to play a little!"

"But what about my gym match? That's why I'm here!" He didn't want to end up having to do something silly like play 'tea time' or whatever the little girl liked.

"We can have the match after we play~"

"But-"

"Pretty please with sugar and gumdrops on top? I don't have many friends to play with."

"Ergh, fine, we can play, but only for a little bit." As long as it got Sabrina to stop begging to play, he guessed he could spend like... half an hour or so. Though it unnerved him that she knew his secret so quickly. "I can be your friend I guess."

The horizontal screen lifted up, and – much to Ash's outright surprise – the entire alcove lit up to show a much older woman sitting in the throne with the younger girl in her lap. She had dark green hair like the younger one, but her outfit was in a style similar to a ringmaster's or so. "So then, it is time to play."

"Wait wait wait wait!" Ash waved an arm, pointing at the woman. Pikachu even mimicked this action. "Who are you?! What's going on here?"

In an eerie, monotone voice, she replied. "I am Sabrina, the Gym Leader of this city, and your new friend." She lifted up off her throne and landed on her feet, walking towards the young boy without any sign of emotion. The door behind him slammed shut, and lights overhead abruptly turned on.

"That isn't fair! You tricked me! That girl isn't Sabrina! The agreement no longer stands!" Looking closely, it almost seemed as if the younger girl was a doll. He hated being tricked.

"It is valid, Ashley- or should I say Ash?" He didn't remember telling her his name. "No, I believe Ashley is correct." She tilted her head. "The little one in my arms is as much me as I am. A representation of one part of my psyche, manifested into its own physical state."

"A what of who and huh?" He took a step back, Pikachu's cheeks crackling at his side. "Well whatever. I don't want to play any more."

"Oh, but we are going to play~" Little Sabrina giggled out. "If you aren't going to play with me, then I will play with you as my doll for a little while~"

"Your doll? I ain't gonna sit around while you play dress up with me."

Sabrina's eyes glowed. "You do not have much of a choice."

Pikachu stared in absolute shock as his trainer's body started to glow before shrinking and shifting. Before long, Ash looked like nothing more but a simple, cute little doll laying on the ground. "Pikapi!" He shouted in worry, looking down at the doll.

To some of his relief, Ash's voice came from the motionless doll. "Wh- what's going on?! I'm a doll? I'm actually a doll?!" There was clear shock and distress in his voice. "Sabrina, turn me back right now! I don't want to be a doll!" He gave out a shout of surprise as his body levitated upwards and into Little Sabrina's hands.

"It's just for a little while, silly. I said we'll have our match later~" She giggled out, and noticed Pikachu charging up his cheeks. "Now now little Pikachu. Your trainer will be alright. Shocking us won't solve anything, and we are the only ones who can turn her back."

Pikachu realized that Sabrina was right. He could try to shock them into returning Ash to normal, but he also didn't want to end up a doll as well. "Pi..." His cheeks relaxed, but he glared up at the woman.

Sabrina stared at Pikachu a little. "Your bond with your trainer is touching." There was still no emotion in that voice.

"Yay! Dolly play time! We can play dress up!"

"This suuuuuuuuuuuucks." Ash whined helplessly as he was dragged off. 'Erika was right. I do need to think more before I act.' When he managed to get out of this, he was so going to listen to whatever she had to tell him or teach him. He also wondered if Misty and Brock would have managed to keep him from getting into this mess if they were with him.

* * *

Ash sighed out as he sat on a couch. At the moment, he was stuck as a doll in a doll house. Admittedly, the house was nicely decorated with lots of furniture, so at least he had a nice view. It did nothing to alleviate the fact that he was trapped and unable to move by himself at all, though. He hated sitting so still, knowing he couldn't do anything at all. On the bright side, his muscles didn't ache at the moment.

Little Sabrina was true to her word in wanting to play with him. For the last while, he found himself forced into all kinds of childish activities such as tea parties, house, being played with along with other plush toys, and – to his embarrassment – dress up. Sabrina had dressed him up in many different outfits of different styles and roles. There was a nurse outfit for playing doctor, a maid outfit for 'cleaning house', a wedding gown for a make believe wedding, and other manner of outfits.

At the moment, he was stuck in another one of those outfits. It was an overly cute sweet lolita outfit complete with bonnet, frills, and puffy bloomers. He even had cute little plush small enough for him sitting in his lap, with his arms positioned in a way to hold on to it.

He wasn't exactly sure where Sabrina had went, but knew that she had taken Pikachu off to play for a little bit. He knew Pikachu was reluctant to deal with her, but they didn't have any choice. Sabrina was the only one who could change him back.

"How long am I going to be like this?" He groaned out with another sigh.

Another doll sitting in a chair across from him spoke up. "That depends. It's... up to Sabrina." The voice was a mature, kind voice, belonging to the doll that looked like a kind, mature woman.

"Wh- You spoke?" Ash asked in surprise.

"Yes, it's nice to have company in this doll house." Ash could almost feel her smile. "I'm Sabrina's mother."

That caused Ash to briefly go silent. "She... turned her own mother into a doll?" The thought left a bad taste in his mouth. "How could she do something like that?!"

"It's... complicated." The other doll answered. "Please don't think badly of her. She's a good daughter."

"A good daughter wouldn't turn their own mother into a simple doll, lady." He deadpanned with a hint of annoyance. "No wonder everybody seems to be afraid of her. If she does monstrous things like this, then-"

"Don't" The woman interrupted with a bit of sadness in her tone. "That view is partly why she is like this in the first place."

"What do you mean?"

A sigh came from the woman. "Sabrina used to be a really sweet little girl, full of emotion and everything. Once she discovered her own psychic powers, however, she became obsessed with trying to develop them, and they were unusually strong for someone her age." There was a silence. "She actually did try to make friends with other kids, but the other kids were scared of her due to her powers. They would tease her and call her a monster."

"... so she was lonely?" Ash knew the feeling of growing up mainly keeping to himself and having to deal with the teasing of other kids quite well.

"Yes. The teasing ended up scaring her away from her attempts at making friends, and she tossed herself deeper and deeper into her psychic training. Her father and I tried to provide her the support she needed, as well as the discipline, but she refused to listen and kept doing her own thing."

"I'm... sorry to hear."

"It eventually got to a point where her personality managed to split and create that doll you see her carry with her. That doll is a representation of what my baby used to be, and the woman devoid of any emotion at all. A young girl who just wants to have fun and make friends with people. It... doesn't really work out, and it only causes people to be unnerved even more, thus causing Sabrina to retreat deeper inside of herself."

Ash was silent as he digested the information told to him. He felt... really bad for both Sabrina and her mother, but he knew that all of this wasn't helping the woman in any way but create more and more problems. "... I'll do something about it."

"What?"

"You said it yourself, right? She's just looking for a friend. I can be her friend, and maybe I can help her open up or something." He just wasn't sure how the heck he was going to even do that, though. He couldn't just let all of this keep going, though. Especially after having spoken with this woman and noting how sad she seemed.

If Sabrina's mother could shed a tear, she would. "Really? You will? You're a really sweet young lady. What is your name?"

Being called a young lady still felt so weird and embarrassing to him, but he answered the woman quickly. "I'm Ashley Ketchum of Pallet Town." He still wasn't sure if stating where he was from was a smart or dumb idea. He hoped nobody else back in Pallet learned of this. '… I did tell mom to not mention this to any of her friends back home, right?'

"Thank you, Ashley."

The roof of the doll house pushed away to reveal Sabrina and her doll self, who was holding a clearly annoyed Pikachu who was sporting bows on his ears. "Shall we play a little more, dolly?"

"Sabrina, I challenge you to our gym match now." Ash piped up. "We've played for a little while already, so it's time to agree to your part!"

"Awww, already?" The doll Sabrina asked with a hint of disappointment.

"I want our match right now."

"Mmm... If you lose, you'll become my dolly again and play with me~"

Ash found himself levitating up out of the doll house and into the air. There, he felt the weird, unnatural feeling of his body growing and shifting back to normal flesh and blood again. Psychic powers were so damn creepy, but they were kinda cool too. He just hated being the target of them!

Once back to normal, he was lowered down onto his feet. "I can move again!" He shouted happily as he moved his limbs, as well as doing a quick little dance. He never wanted to experience that again. However, he quickly realized something as he looked down at the elaborate sweet lolita outfit he still wore.

"Aw jeez..."

"... it suits you." Sabrina monotoned as Pikachu was released and jumped over to Ash. She turned around and walked. "Now, follow me, and we shall have our match."

The young boy followed behind, blushing in embarrassment.

* * *

Author's Notes: Next up is the Pokemon battle!


	8. Pinsir Time

Celadon's New Blossom

Ash stared across the battle field at his opponent warily as she stood with nary an expression on her face and a doll in her likeness within her arms. Pikachu was standing behind his corner of the battle field. Hopefully, the electric mouse would be able to sit this battle out. He felt nervous about this, and not just over the worry of potentially losing the battle. If he lost, it was highly likely that he was going to have to spend a little more time as a doll.

Speaking of dolls, he looked down at the lolita outfit he wore. At the moment, his other clothes were still tiny and doll sized, and this was the outfit he was stuck in when Sabrina changed him back to normal. Though now that he was back to normal, the outfit had a bit more... definition to it instead of the much more simple outfit it initially was.

Tapping his foot against the ground, he found himself needing to get used to the pair of knee-length boots that sported slightly raised platforms. They felt rather durable, if slightly heavy at the bottom. They also felt oddly... natural and a bit comfortable? In fact, not that he would admit it, but the entire outfit didn't seem as distracting or problematic as he thought it would have been. He reasoned that maybe it was because he was transformed back with the outfit. 'I need to get my other clothes back after this...'

"So" Sabrina finally spoke, "here we are, face to face. Ready for what is expected to be a most exhilarating and outstanding battle." There was still no emotion in that voice, so Ash didn't know if she was being serious or patronizing. "This match will be three on three. The loser is the one with no Pokemon left standing."

"Sounds fair to me." Ash answered, pulling out a Pokeball. Finally, he was getting around to having a gym battle. The nervousness he felt slowly ebbed away, and was being replaced by excitement and readiness.

Sabrina levitated a Pokeball out of the hands of her younger doll self. "Now, for my first choice. I do not know if you will manage to defeat this one, though." The ball shot up before popping open and releasing the contents from inside.

"Kada!" Kadabra shouted as it materialized in the flesh, holding aloft its spoon and staring directly towards Ash.

Ash quickly pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at Kadabra.

" _Kadabra, the Psi Pokemon._ _It is rumored that a boy with psychic abilities suddenly transformed into Kadabra while he was assisting research into extrasensory powers."_

"... a fat lot of good some urban legend is going to do for me." Ash mumbled, wondering just what nutcase ever came up with that kind of thing in the first place. Shaking his head, he pulled his Pokeball back for the wind up, and let it fly. "Pinsir, I choose you!" He probably looked ridiculous doing a baseball throw in a lolita outfit.

From out of the Pokeball popped Pinsir, posing at the ready. Turning her attention towards her trainer real quick, she noted the outfit. If the girl could still portray herself as being feminine, but still be really strong and willing to go the distance, then that was something she had to respect immensely. Briefly, she saw herself in her mind wearing something like a flower band around her horn. Realizing the thought, she quickly shook it away and turned her attention towards her opponent.

"So, you were prepared for our battle after all." Sabrina looked directly at Pinsir as if considering its strength and capability. "You may make the first move."

Ash knew she had to be planning something, but couldn't do anything about that right now. "Alright then, we'll do this quickly. Pinsir, shoot directly at Kadabra and land an X-Scissor!"

"Tch-tch" Pinsir let out as she shot forward, claws glowing brightly as they were crossed in front of her, which gave her the look of a horned torpedo.

Sabrina didn't need to say anything audibly. All she needed to do was let her eyes glow, allowing her connection with her Kadabra to shine through. Without warning, the psychic Pokemon disappeared from in front of Pinsir, causing the attack to miss.

"What?!" Ash was surprised. He should have expected Sabrina to command Kadabra telepathically, but he forgot about that being a possibility.

Kadabra reappeared behind Pinsir, eyes glowing as it held up its spoon before it. The command from Sabrina was very faint, but it was clear that the move used was Psybeam. A beam of multi-colored energy that shot from its eyes towards its opponent.

"Pinsir! Quick, Substitute!" As Pinsir's body was hit by the Psybeam, it poofed into smoke, disappearing from view.

"Dabra?" Kadabra looked around, trying to spot its foe. It hadn't espected it to just disappear like that.

"A smart move." Sabrina's monotone voice praised. "But you will have to have Pinsir reappear sometime."

Ash's boots click against the stone flooring. "Oh, I know that." He punches the air. "Pinsir, hit 'em with your Feint Attack!"

From up above, Pinsir – who was clinging to the ceiling after having disappeared – bent at her knees and shot downward, landing on the ground at Kadabra's flank before shooting forward. Her pincers catching Kadabra in between as they both shot off to the side.

"Dabraaaaaaa!" The psychic Pokemon let out as it found itself slammed hard against the side wall.

"Alright! How do you like that?! Good job, Pinsir, you're amazing!" Ash shouted as he hopped in place. Pikachu cheered for the Bug Pokemon as well

Pinsir dusted herself off as she walked away from the wall, taking the time to provide the duo with a thumbs up.

"Very good, but do not think that this is the end quite yet."

True to Sabrina's statement, Kadabra rose up from where it had been slammed. It winced and stumbled, clearly having taken quite a bit of damage from that attack.

Ash let out a smirk. "Yeah, but Kadabra looks like it won't be able to move all that well."

"You would think that, wouldn't you, Ashley?" At the inquisitive look, Sabrina continued. "Kadabra, recover."

"Kada" Kadabra's injured body gained a bright glow that started at its feet and rose up over the rest of its body. After the glow faded, the Pokemon seemed as if it was back in good health.

Ash blanched at this. How would he deal with a Pokemon that could easily recover from anything he tossed at it? 'There has to be a way, what- huh?' His musings were distracted due to Kadabra's behavior.

"Bra? Ka? Dabra?" It seemed to be in a panic as it looked at its hands, and then around it in the small bit of rubble around the wall. Did it lose something? Actually, didn't it carry a spoon with it? The spoon?

Curious about this, Ash pulled out his Pokedex again and looked to see if there was any information on this. " _Kadabra holds a silver spoon in its hand. The spoon is used to amplify the alpha waves in its brain. Without the spoon, the Pokémon is said to be limited to half the usual amount of its telekinetic powers."_

'So that's it.' He thought, looking back at Kadabra. It was in a panic because it lost its power amplifier, and was trying to find it again. He could understand why it was so worried.

"Tch-tch" Pinsir let out, holding up the spoon she had managed to snatch from Kadabra after crashing into the wall. She heard the entry from the dex and had to scoff a bit. Relying on such a silly little crutch like this was outright insulting, and she didn't want to lose to an opponent who couldn't even provide half a challenge without it.

"Ka-bra dabra ka!" Kadabra was over at Pinsir in an instant, begging for its spoon back.

Sabrina stared forward. This was... not going along with her expectations at all, and she was surprised to see her Pokemon in such a panic. "Kadabra, control yourself. Do not make such a scene."

"Kaaaaaaaa!" Kadabra looked at Sabrina with some tears in its eyes. The psychic link they shared was in turmoil on its side, and its trainer found herself unsure of how to act at this moment.

Ash, for his part, felt a little bad that the battle had turned out this way. At the same time, though, he didn't want to become a doll again. This was also probably the best opening that he could hope for. "Pinsir, now, Storm Throw!"

Reacting quickly, Pinsir grabbed onto Kadabra's hand with both claws. She then used her strength to lift the Pokemon up into the air and slam it against the ground, before turning around and repeating the slam two more times. After which, she tossed Kadabra against the wall again, where it slid down in blissful unconsciousness. Pinsir then flicked the spoon over, where it landed next to it.

"..." Sabrina was silent as she recalled Kadabra back into the Pokeball. "Rest for now." She seemed a bit more... subdued perhaps? Ash could have sworn he felt some kind of softening in her features, but only for a brief moment.

"You did it, Pinsir!" Ash's spirits were rather high now. They could definitely do this. A hint of curisoity spread across his features when he noticed his Pokemon briefly sparkle with a faint glow around her body. He took out his Pokedex.

" _Moxie, one of the Abilities that a Pinsir is capable of possessing. Once Pinsir defeats a Pokemon, its ability calls forth a slight increase in power to course through its body; upping its attack power."_

"Awesome!" That was amazing. Just from defeating Kadabra, Pinsir's strength increased a little more. They'd better take advantage of this when they could. Looking up, he watched Sabrina pull out a second Pokeball. No telling what she was going for now.

"Go" It was a simple command from Sabrina. The Pokeball opened, and out popped her next Pokemon.

"Mime mime!" It was a Mr. Mime. It lifted up its hands and started pantomiming.

" _Mr. Mime, the Barrier Pokémon. By rapidly moving its fingers, Mr. Mime can stop air molecules to create an invisible wall."_

"Invisible walls?" Ash asked, putting his Pokedex aside. That sounded like it could be tricky. Well, there was only one way to test this. "Pinsir, X-Scissor!"

His Pokemon shot forward in an instant, careening directly at the Mime as it created a rapid movement of its fingers. The X-Scissor was launched, and the x-shaped slash collided with an invisible barrier. A ripple in the air was the only sign that the attack hit something.

"That was fast." Ash frowned, watching Pinsir smack at the barrier with her horn in annoyance. If from the front wouldn't work, then perhaps... "Pinsir, Feint Attack!"

Pinsir's body blurred in a motion that caused the Mime Pokemon to have a bit of trouble concentrating. In the distraction, Pinsir managed to move over to the side and leap at Mr. Mime... only to smack into another barrier

"You didn't think that it was only at the front, did you?" Sabrina held out a hand, motioning for Mr. Mime to demonstrate. As if by magic, her Pokemon managed to walk up what seemed to be an invisible flight of stairs and stand in midair above its opponent. "Mr. Mime can do more with its pantomiming than just create barriers."

Ash could only stare slackjawed at the display. Mr. Mime were kinda amazing. Quickly shaking his head, he tried to get his mind back on the battle. 'Think, think... how do I deal with that?' How do you deal with invisible walls?

"Psybeam" Sabrina commanded, and her Pokemon quickly fired a beam of psychic energy from above. Pinsir managed to dodge back from the blunt of it, but still got pushed back by the attack.

"Tch-tch!" Pinsir stomped a foot against the ground in annoyance. Psychic Pokemon seemed outright cheap with all of these sneaky tactics at their disposal. She slammed her horn once more against the barrier a few times.

Mr. Mime, for its part, chose to make the situation a bit worse by pulling down its eyelid and sticking its tongue out at the Bug type. It decided to stand their and taunt her.

This only made Pinsir even more angry as – without instruction – she slammed an X-Scissor against the invisible wall before her. The power she put into it caused the barrier to buckle and shatter, which Ash quickly noticed.

"M- Mime?" Mr. Mime sweated a little at this

"Calm and strengthen yourself, Mr. Mime." Sabrina's voice floated through the Pokemon's mind. "Do not let this one break get you nervous." The older woman turned her attention towards Ash and observed him. She knew that he noticed the smashing, and if her reading of the child was correct, then he would follow up on this by having Pinsir keep smashing the barriers. This would render the Bug Pokemon exhausted after a little while.

True to how she figured, Ash punched forward. "Pinsir! Smash those barriers between you and Mr. Mime!"

"Tch-tch!" Pinsir attempted to smash the next barrier, but due to Mr. mime using Calm Mind, the psychic power holding the barrier up was much stronger.

"Miiiiiiiiime!" Mr. Mime held its hands forward and shot a Psybeam directly at Pinsir, hitting her right on and blasting her back, where she skid along the floor towards Ash's feet.

"Pinsir, are you okay?!" Ash knelt down behind her as she got up. "Maybe just trying to smash the barriers is the wrong choice. Maybe we should switch you out for someone else for now?" He wasn't sure of who exactly, though.

At that statement, Pinsir turned slightly and gave Ash a look that said 'no way, I got this'. She didn't want to back down; there was a fire in her eyes. Turning her attention back to Mr. Mime, she glared as it taunted her some more. Those barriers... she hated them so much. She hated that Mr. Mime even more.

Giving out a bit of a screech from her mouth, she clenched her claws as her and got ready to move. Her horns, in response gained a bright shine to them. This caused Ash to point his dex.

" _Brick Break, a move utilized for getting rid of barrier-type moves."_

"That might be just what we need." Ash muttered with a bit of hope. Looking up, he pointed towards Mr. Mime. "Pinsir, use Brick Break to smash through all of those barriers!"

The plan was about brute strength, huh? Pinsir liked that. She was good about brute strength. Would this actually work? That wasn't a thought that went through her mind. She didn't give any damns about strategy. To hell with strategy when you could brute force it!

She unleashed another loud screech as her body shot forward like a rocket, hurtling towards the invisible barriers, and the Mr. Mime that stood safely tucked away behind them. Her glowing horns collided with the wall, and her body pushed at them with all of her might.

"Mime mime mime mime!" Her opponent held its hands up, struggling to keep the barriers going. Its concentration was all into this, for if it let up just a little to try and do another attack, then its grasp would slip. A bit of sweat poured down its neck as it fought.

Pinsir's eyes could only see her target, and she wasn't going to let up and allow this Psychic Pokemon to win through doing almost nothing. She was like the Aggron coming to smash through the side of a mountain!

Letting off yet another screech, she poured her strength into her muscles and horns and pushed. Adrenaline pumping and coursing through her body. Soon, the barrier before her broke and she shot through, bursting through another, and then directly through to Mr Mime, who found itself pinned between the mandibles and – just like the Kadabra before it – smashed right into the wall!

Ash winced at seeing that. There had to have been a better way, right? "Pinsir?" Pikachu slowly walked to his side, also curious.

Sabrina, herself, stared. The plan that she quickly worked together to stall for time got away from her quicker than she anticipated. It had been a long time since she had to deal with such a match beyond her control and expectations.

A movement occurred over near the wall as the dust settled. It was revealed to be Pinsir. She was standing, but wobbling unsteadily on her feet. She looked to be absolutely drained from doing that impression of a bulldozer a moment ago. At her feet rested an unconscious Mr. Mime.

The Bug Pokemon raised a fist weakly into the air in victory, letting loose a noise of celebration. After which, she fell backwards and onto her back, out like a light as well.

Ash and Pikachu were to her side in an instant, the former picking her up into his lap. "You alright, Pinsir? That was amazing, and you deserve a good rest." A smile cracked as the beetle Pokemon weakly lifted a claw and gave him another thumbs up. "Yeah." He gave her a thumbs up in return before returning her to her ball.

Sabrina made her way over to them and looked down at her Mr. Mime, and then back to Ash and Pikachu. She was... a bit confused as she knelt down before her Pokemon, who opened an eye and weakly looked up at her.

"M- Mime...?"

"... you did fine, Mr. Mime." She said, reaching out slowly and patting it gently on the head. She flinched slightly when its hand reached up and held onto the back of her hand. "Please, do rest. I will take you to the Pokemon Center after this battle is finished." Returning it to the ball, she stood up and turned, making her way back to her corner of the arena.

Ash watched the exchange in silence. He could tell that the woman was slowly cracking, which he hoped was a good thing. Maybe this would allow him to get through to her. However, his attention quickly returned to the match. Two of her Pokemon down, one of his. It was down to her final one. He was excited, actually worried he wouldn't even defeat one of her Pokemon. 'one more, one more. I can do this. What is she going to send out?'

"I never did imagine that you would get this far." Sabrina's voice still monotone, but with a hint of trepidation. The doll in her arms wiggled a little, frowning. "Never the less, even if it was through sheer luck alone, you have managed to defeat two of my Pokemon. This will be your final opponent." The Pokeball shot upwards and unleashed the creature from within.

"Gutor!" The Exeggutor stomped its feet from side to side, a lazy look on its heads.

" _Exeggutor, a Coconut Pokémon. Also known as the walking tropical rain forest. Each coconut has a distinct face and its own character."_

Ash hummed a little as he looked. It was apparently a Grass and Psychic type. If Pinsir were still in, this would have been a piece of cake for her. However, he did have another Pokemon that would be a good match. Pulling out a Pokeball, he threw it. "Go Charmander!"

"Char char!" The fire lizard popped out and posed. He noticed the glare from his opponent and sweat slightly. However, he stood his ground. The woman commanding Exeggutor didn't seem like a nice lady either.

"So, once again we are dealing with types, yes?" She stared deeply at Charmander. "I won't be foolish to let you use the first move, however. Exeggutor, Sleep Powder."

With quick reflexes, the heads of the coconut Pokemon inhaled and exhaled out a huge cloud of powder that washed over Charmander. The smaller Pokemon had no real chance as he wobbled due to the powder and fell forward onto his face, fast asleep.

"Charmander!" Ash yelled out. He didn't expect that. He didn't even get a chance to do anything. "Charmander, wake up!"

"Now that Charmander is asleep, Dream Eater."

"Exeg!" Eyes glowing ominously, an eerie beam of energy drifts from its body and connects to Charmander as it works on draining his energy.

"Charmander!"

"Char?" Charmander looked around, fear evident on his face as it stood on top of a high rock without any ground in sight. It couldn't see anybody at all, and felt all alone. Where were the others? Where was Ash at? "Ch- Char?"

A familiar laugh reverberated from all around him as images of his former trainer, Damian, appeared in the air. "Look at you. All scared and alone. That's what you get for being weak." The voice was patronizing as a finger pointed at him. "That's why nobody would ever want you. You're just a tiny lizard."

"Charman, mancha!" Charmander shouted out, and attempted to shoot off a flame from his mouth. However, nothing came out but smoke, and he placed his hands to his snout.

"Not even a powerful flame. You're weak. It would have just been best if you let yourself perish in that storm. Where's your current trainer to save you now, huh?" The laugh grew louder as rain swept the area, and waves crashed against the rock, lashing out at him.

Screaming in terror, Charmander huddled, holding his tail close to keep his flame from fading. Damian was right. He wasn't powerful enough. If he was more powerful, then maybe... maybe what he needed was power?

"Charmander!" That voice... it was familiar, wasn't it? He didn't feel wet any more either. Poking an eye up, he saw an umbrella held over his head. "Don't worry, Charmander, I'm here." Looking at the hand connected to the umbrella, and following it, he soon saw the face of Ash. A face that seemed to hold... worry, kindness, and reassurance?

"Ch- Char!" Reaching out, he grabbed hold of his trainer's clothes, looking up into his eyes for safety and protection.

Damian laughed. "That trainer is weak! Where are you going with him? Isn't he just holding you back? Didn't he look much stronger before? Now he looks like a fragile little flower."

The little fire lizard just continued to stare up into Ash's eyes. Maybe he didn't look as strong as before, but... he looked so much more full of concern and caring. Well, he was caring before, but... oh he didn't know.

A wave threatened to crash against Charmander, and he let out a shout of terror. Only, it never hit. Opening his eyes, he saw that Ash had blocked the wave with his own body. "I'll be here for you, Charmander. We're best buds, right? Forget about Damian. He was a creep. What's he know about strength? He was too dumb to even help you."

"Char..." That's right. Damian just left him. Ash was the one who protected him and kept sure his flame continued. What did it mean to go for strength and power if it meant he'd only end up like Damian? He didn't want Damian, he wanted Ash.

Inhaling deeply, he let loose a gigantic flame at the image of Damian, causing it to disperse, as well as the rain and waves to egg away.

"~Charmander~" The voice reverberated, but this time it was Ash's, from somewhere around. It echoed, getting stronger and stronger, and he attempted to reach for it.

"Charmander!" Ash yelled once more. It had only been a short moment, but he realized things would get worse if he didn't do something. He started to pull out Charmander's Pokeball to return him, but stopped when he saw the connection to Dream Eater break, and his Pokemon stir.

"Pika!"

Charmander pushed himself up onto his feet, wobbling slightly. The Dream Eater had managed to take a nice chunk out of his energy, but he was still standing. Breathing heavily a bit, he inhaled some air. As he did, the flame on his tail sprang to life, flaring exceedingly brightly.

"Whoa..." Ash held out his dex.

" _Blaze, an Ability of the Charmander line. When Charmander is very low on health, this ability activates and increases its attack by 1.5x normal."_

Sabrina's lips twitched ever so slightly into a frown.

'Luck seems to be on my side again.' He was a bit disappointed that his wins seemed to rely mostly on luck today instead of just skill, but a win was a win... and a badge was a badge. "Charmander, give Exeggutor a taste of your Flamethrower!"

Standing tall and inhaling in air, Charmander leaned forward and unleashed a massive stream of flames that shot directly at the living coconut tree.

Sabrina held up her hand quickly. "Exeggutor! Use Psychic, now!"

Exeggutor's eyes glowed brightly as it attempted to take control of the flames charging at it. However, the force was too great, and it quickly found itself awash in a sea of flames. "Gutooooooooooor!"

Sabrina visibly winced amidst the psychic link she had with her Pokemon. She couldn't feel just what Exeggutor was experiencing, but she could tell it was in complete panic and distress. "Nnph"

As the flames died down, there stood a clearly charred Grass type, wobbling on its feet for a moment before collapsing to the ground in defeat.

"We... did we?" Ash stared at the downed Exeggutor, lips trembling before breaking into a huge grin. "We did it! We so did it!" He grabbed Pikachu by the hands and danced with him. He didn't even care if the lolita dress was constricting his movements at the moment. HE WON.

Almost instantly, he was over by Charmander and hugging the little lizard Pokemon. "Thanks, buddy, you were great! You're amazing."

The Fire Pokemon couldn't help but blush at the praise, and smiled happily that his trainer thought he was such a help. A shiver soon shifted through his body, and his form was awash with a bright glow as it pulsed and shift.

"Wh- Charmander is..." Ash stared in awe.

"Pikaaaaaaaaaa." Pikachu, too, watched as his friend changed.

It wasn't long before the glow faded, and Charmander was no more. Standing in his place was a Charmeleon, looking down at its claws in surprise. "Chah?" He felt... a lot stronger now. Quite a bit, and those claws looked really sharp and capable of cutting stuff easily.

The Dex piped up. _"Charmeleon, the Flame Pokémon. It has razor sharp claws and its tail is exceptionally strong."_

Stars shone in Ash's eyes as he grabbed Charmeleon's claw between his hands, staring directly at him. "So cool... you're so cool Charmelon. Just look at you, buddy!"

The fire lizard blushed at all of the attention. Within the back of his mind, the thought of 'strength' and 'power' reverberated. It wanted to get stronger... to be stronger. That he could be better than the so called trainer before him. However, the same trainer was the one who rescued him, and showed him so much kindness. If it wasn't for his trainer, then he wouldn't even be here any more.

Not to mention the kind, caring look Ash was giving him as well. He... he trusted Ash, and trusted that his trainer would be able to make him strong and powerful. "Meleon." He gave his trainer a toothy grin full of confidence.

It wasn't long before Ash stood before Sabrina, the Gym Leader holding a case in the air before her and staring down at him with that usual emotionless expression on her face. "I did not foresee this outcome at all, having expected you to not even be able to defeat Kadabra, let along Mr. Mime. However, for your victory over me, I present you with this Marsh Badge."

Unable to help but smile more than his lips should allow, Ash reached into the case and pulled out the badge. Holding it in his hands, he lifted it up. "Alright! I got the Marsh Badge! I finally have four badges!" He was no longer grossly behind the others, at least he didn't think so. This was so the best day ever.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu gave a little hop into the air.

"... now you'll be leaving and not coming back." Little Sabrina said without any instance of a giggle, or the positive personality she seemed to always give off. "You'll leave and we'll be all alone again."

That caused Ash to mellow some, staring up at the doll and woman. Looking, he could see Sabrina's eyes softened just a little. At least, compared to normal. He wasn't sure how he knew, but there was a clear struggle going on within the woman, and she didn't know how to deal with it in the slightest.

Hand clenching and unclenching at his side, he reacted before he even realized it. His hand reached out and grabbed Sabrina by her own, catching the woman by surprise and confusing. "Hey, who said anything about leaving just now? We're friends, right?" He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his other finger.

"What are you-"

"Pika?" Pikachu looked up at Ash in surprise and confusion.

"You said it yourself, right? You don't have any friends, and you're lonely. I dunno, it just seems like you could use someone to talk to and hang out with or something." He really didn't know how he was supposed to be doing this, and figured he would just wing it. "C'mon, whaddaya say?"

Sabrina was honestly unsure of how to react. She had figured the boy would just take the badge and leave as quickly as possible, leaving her to her own devices again. However, here he was, seemingly wanting to actually hang out with her. Could she do it? Did she know how? Is it something she could actually risk. "I... think I would like to... hang out."

The first place that they stopped was the Pokemon Center to get their Pokemon checked over and healed. On the way out of the gym, they encountered the masked psychic from earlier who wanted to know how things went. Much to Ash's immense joy, the man was shocked into absolute silence from the news that the Great Sabrina lost to such an upstart. Last thing Ash saw of him was the guy sitting in a fetal position in the corner.

Ash easily noticed how most of the people on the streets, and even in the Pokemon center seemed a bit wary to see Sabrina out and about like she was. He guessed this is what happened if you built up your reputation as the older woman did.

"Oh my, Sabrina, how rare it is to see you out like this." Nurse Joy said in surprise. "I take it that you two had your Gym Match?"

"... we did, and Ashley won against me." The statement raised a few heads.

"Oh, congratulations! It isn't often that Sabrina loses a match, because most people don't come here due to the rumors." Nurse Joy smiled. "It is also less often that Sabrina comes here with the one that challenged her."

After the Pokemon Center, they made their way around the city, stopping by various sights in the process. Sabrina, knowing the city like the back of her hand easily, guided Ash around to various places of interests.

They visited the Magnet Train, which Ash was surprised to know went all the way to Johto from there. Perhaps one day he would use it to travel to Johto if he ever decided to visit the region. There was a quick stop at the Silph Co., which allowed Ash to learn a little more about Pokeballs, and was even given a pamphlet. There was also the mention of some huge event coming up within a few days known as the P1 Grand Prix that was being hosted by the company and held in Celadon. Maybe he could catch it on TV.

The Pokemon Fan Club was full of a lot of... interesting people, and the Fighting Dojo was kind of neat. One of the larger areas they visited was a place called a 'Contest Hall'. It was a large, rather nice building with lush greenery and a lake. Sabrina told him that it was dedicated to something known as Pokemon Contests, which originated in the Hoenn Region and was recently picking up steam and interest in other regions. He didn't think he'd ever take part in a contest, but it sounded neat.

When they came across an arcade, Ash pulled Sabrina on in and got the two of them to play a few games, and even managed to win some prizes; a Plusle, Minun, and Goldeen plush. Thinking on his acquisitions, he realized that Misty would likely like the Goldeen. As for the Plusle and Minun, he split the two prizes with Sabrina. Him taking the Plusle and her the Minun. Needless to say, Sabrina was surprised about this, and the gift caused a slight smile to grace her lips.

It wasn't long before they were sitting down on a bench in the park, ice cream cones in hand with Ash in the midst of a story. Pikachu sat next to him enjoying his treat. "... and then he was standing there in an actual bikini with fake breasts, jiggling them all over as if they were real. He even INFLATED THEM." He was telling Sabrina about that time in Aopulco when James took part in the beauty contest.

That last bit caused Sabrina to actually snort into her ice cream, having not expected to hear something like that. "Team Rocket certainly does have a few... interesting individuals in its ranks." She was actually having lots of fun for the first time in years. The young boy next to her was a joy to hang around with once you got over his stubborn and immature side.

Ash sat back, swinging his feet a little. He was still dressed in the lolita outfit, but it was the farthest thing from his mind right now. "Yeah, but they can be so annoying. They're always after Pikachu just because he blew them up once. I mean, I get that Pikachu is strong." He pats his Pokemon on the head. "But why do they spend so much time hounding us? It's weird."

As he licked his ice cream cone, he found himself confronted by another boy of around his age who seemed to be a bit nervous for some reason. "Hey, something wrong?"

"Ah... um... I like your outfit."

"Huh? This outfit? Thanks I guess. It's just something that I got from her." Ash motioned to Sabrina, who the sight of caused the boy to blush slightly.

"Well... it's still nice." He scratched his cheek. "Would you like to go get a meal or something sometime?"

Ash just blinked. This guy was really weird. "Sorry, but I'm hanging out with Sabrina, and I don't think I'll be around long enough for that. You can hang with us if you really- huh?" He watched as the boy seemed a bit put off and ran away. "... what was that about?"

Sabrina stared at Ash for a moment, and then at the retreating figure of the boy. Her hand moved towards her mouth as a brief giggle escaped.

"Wh- what's so funny?" The younger trainer was surprised to hear a laugh come from the woman. Was it something he said? Did he have ice cream on his nose or something?

Sabrina couldn't help it, and she just started to burst out laughing. "You- hahaha- him- haha." She couldn't keep it in at all. "That cute obliviousness you have going on, haha! He was trying to hit on you and ask you on a date!"

It took a moment to register, but Ash's face went beet red upon realization of what Sabrina had said. "What?! Oh god! Why would- it's this outfit, isn't it?!" He tugged a bit at the clothes he was wearing, blushing profusely all the while. "Or my look? I knew that I could look cute like this. I mean, I really did when the girls back at the Celadon Gym dressed me up in that kimono, but to have some other boy ask me out on a date?!"

Sabrina just laughed and laughed at Ash's reaction, and even more when he admitted to realizing he looked cute. The dam had been broken, and all of her emotions were flooding back into her. She felt awash with so many feelings that she had blocked off for so long, and it actually felt good.

"Sabrinaaaaaaaa! Stop laughing!" He looked at her with the most incredible pouty face that she had ever seen, which didn't help him at all.

The doll that Sabrina held smiled faintly and looked up. Its form seemed to destabilize and waver, slowly disappearing from the woman's hands

"I... don't believe it." The older man from before stepped up onto the scene. "Sabrina, you're actually laughing. It's been so long since I heard that laugh." He seemed to be positively elated.

Ash blinked, looking at the man, forgetting his embarrassment. "Hey, you're that one guy who-"

"Papa!" Sabrina shouted as she sprang at the man, latching onto him and hugging him. "I'm so sorry for how I've been acting all this time!"

"Wait... he's your father?" The guy did have some strong psychic powers, so it made sense.

He looked down at Ash as he held his daughter. "Young lady, you've managed to do a great thing today, and I thank you so much."

Ash laughed a bit in embarrassment, scratching the back of his head. Pikachu, by now, had finished his ice cream and hopped up onto the boy's shoulder. The young trainer was at a loss for words at the moment.

"Thank you so much, Ash." Sabrina hugged the young boy. They were standing before the gate heading out of the city leading towards Celadon. It was the next morning, and Ash had managed to spend the night with Sabrina's family. "I wish you didn't have to leave so soon, but you'll visit again when you can, right?"

"Yeah, I really need to get going, and I will visit again whenever I have the chance to." He also had the Gym Leader's phone number, so they didn't need a visit to keep in touch. "Just... try not to bottle up your emotions or anything again, alright?" He SO did not want to have to worry about that again. Dealing with it once was enough.

The woman smiled. "I'll try not to. I'm going to try and work on bridging better relations between myself and the people of Saffron. I don't know how well it'll go, but I'm going to work more on helping deal with various matters." She knew it would be a bit difficult, but her mind felt a lot more clear than it had been in years.

Her mother, now back to being human, gave a bow to Ash. "I do hope to see you again. If you do, you'll always have a place to to visit."

Ash nodded to the woman and tapped a foot against the ground. He was glad to finally be back in the clothes he arrived in, and out of that lolita one.

"Oh, Ashley, that lolita outfit that you seemed to enjoy so much yesterday? I stored it in your bag. Think of it as a gift from me to you." She winked, causing him to blush a bit at the thought. "Also, maybe next time you visit, I'll have some new outfits for you to try on."

"Ha ha, right." He really hoped she was joking about that, because he did not think he would want to be a doll again... even if he knew there wasn't a risk of it being permanent this time. 'I guess I have a new outfit.' He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. "Well, c'mon Pikachu."

"Chu!" The Electric Mouse hopped onto his shoulder as he began walking off, making his way back to what he could consider to be home for now.

Author's Notes: Well that's finished with! I managed to get this chapter out rather quickly after the previous one. Originally I wanted to do the Pokemon battle along with the other chapter, but realized it would cause the chapter to get much longer than it needed to be.

I'm aware that in the games, Brick Break has no effect at all on Barrier. However, in the anime, Barrier actually is a barrier that blocks attacks, and so...


	9. A Place To Call Home

Celadon's New Blossom

"~A one, two, three, watch out for me~!" Ash's singing carried as he marched happily towards the entrance to Celadon, Pikachu resting on his shoulder. "~The conquering hero of the Marsh Badge is coming home to Celadon City~" He let off a bit of a laugh. That song was horrible, but he didn't really care. He was just excited to be returning back to what he could consider 'home' after his success at finally acquiring a new badge. "We're almost there, Pikachu."

"Chu-pika!" His small companion seemed just as thrilled to get back. Sure, being on the road again was always kind of nice since they got to see new places, but returning to a familiar one was just as fun sometimes.

"I don't know about you, buddy, but I think I'm in need of a good bath once we get back." That, too, was one of the good things about having a place to return 'home' to. Being able to unwind a bit and enjoy a nice, hot soak was always something to look forward to. "And maybe after resting, we'll challenge Erika for the Rainbow Badge again?" He was feeling super confident now that he had Charmeleon and Pinsir, not to mention Primeape having learned Fire Punch.

However, there was a small nagging in the back of his mind that realized he really did need to work on training. His victory over Sabrina involved a string of lucky occurrences that smiled in his favor, and if it hadn't been for those, he might have been in some dire straights. Before Erika, he wouldn't have thought too much about it, and would have just gladly accepted it and gone on his merry way. Well, he still did gladly accept the victory, because someone would have to be nuts not to.

What the young trainer realized, though, was that perhaps he actually needed to take the time to get together with his Pokemon and actually work on training with them. Since he started his journey a little over three months ago, not once did he actually take the time to try and train. Well, actually, there was that one time he did to face Brock again, but even that was simply trying to pump Pikachu full of electricity. In hindsight, that may not have been the best of decisions.

Not only did he need to work on training with his Pokemon, but his trip to Saffron made him realize that he really did need to work on himself as well. His hotheaded foolhardiness and pride were what got him on the receiving end of Sabrina's father's psionic power, though maybe that would have happened regardless since the man was intent on keeping people away.

But he definitely did just walk into agreeing to playing with Sabrina without much thought on it, being impatient and deciding 'playing' was something that he probably could have gotten out of the way quickly. What was the word that Erika had used? Humility? Maybe that whole event was just some lesson in that to make him realize some of his issues?

Ash let out a small sigh. It had only been what, a week at the most since he started living as Ashley? All of this was just way too much to have to deal with in such a short amount of time. Just a week ago he was knee deep in traveling around with Misty and Brock, not having to deal with much of anything besides trying to get to the next gym and maybe catch Pokemon. There were other things, but it was definitely a much simpler time. Speaking of Misty and Brock, he really did miss them at the moment, and wondered what they were doing.

Pikachu hopped from his trainer's shoulder and onto his hat, causing the brim to fall over Ash's eyes. "Pikachu-Pi, Pika-Chu!"

"H- hey!" Knocked out of his musings, Ash quickly reached upwards and pushed his hat out of his eyes. Looking forward, he tried to see what had gotten Pikachu so excited. "Is that..." Not too far away, he could make out the familiar shapes of Misty and Brock as the two mulled about. Feeling a wide smile creep onto his lips, he adjusted the strap of his duffel bag and rushed towards them.

"Misty, Brock!" he shouted, causing both of them to turn around at hearing their voice being called. It took them a moment for it to dawn on them, but once it did, their features turned into one of awe and surprise.

"Ash? Is that you?" Misty asked as the boy came to a stop before them. She quickly caught Pikachu, who jumped right into her arms. She couldn't help but take in her friend's look with a mixture of disbelief, surprise, curiosity, interest, and a slew of other feelings. Though joy at seeing him again was also boiling from within. "I almost didn't recognize you! Look at your outfit, and... is that nail polish?"

Ash blushed profusely, forgetting all about the fact that they hadn't seen him yet with his current outfit... or his nails. "Err... well... the girls at the gym kinda- erm- gave me a bit of a makeover against my will?" He gave a nervous laugh. "The outfit came from mom. She sent me a bunch of clothes."

"A better makeover than I got." Misty muttered as she scritched Pikachu's ear.

At Ash's confused look, Brock elaborated. "We had a run in with Team Rocket in Scissor Street. They gave her a makeover. You should have seen it. It was- oof!" He found himself flat on the ground, with a blushing Misty directly behind him.

"We don't need to be reliving THAT memory now, thank you very much!"

'At least I didn't have to deal with them this time.' Ash thought, a bit happy at having a break from the trio for once.

Brock got back onto his feet, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Right... well, anyway, you look good, Ash." He frowned a smidge, crossing his arms and tilting his head. "But there's something really off. I'm almost a pro at being able to realize when someone is a boy or girl." It was like a super power of his. His love and devotion to the ladies granted him with some sort of 'girl radar'.

"However, if I didn't realize it was you, I wouldn't have known otherwise." It happened once before when Ash first dressed as Ashley. He didn't know that the young girl at the time wasn't really a girl. It was such an alien thing to deal with. "There's just something about you that is managing to trick my mind."

"Lucky me." Ash deadpanned. Of all the amazing powers in life he could have had wanted if such a thing were possible, being able to pass himself off as a girl without Brock being able to truly realize was not one of them. "So you saw Team Rocket in Scissor Street? How was it in the other towns?" He felt a bit... jealous that he couldn't have gone with them?

Misty and Brock relayed to their friend about their trip to Scissor Street and the other town next to it. That there was an issue with a bunch of children vanishing mysteriously, and they helped the Officer Jenny of that area – who Brock gushed about – with the case. This eventually led to Misty frowning and pulling out a Pokeball.

"I got... this by accident." She gave the ball a small toss, which opened up and released from within its contents.

"Psy?" The Psyduck just stood there, tilting its head and looking absolutely vacant in the process. "Duck?"

Ash blinked and pulled out his Pokedex. "I think that's a..."

" _Psyduck, the Duck Pokémon. Psyduck suffers frequent headaches and can exhibit mysterious attacks when they become especially intense."_

"Headaches, huh?" He tapped his chin for a second, muttering. "I can see why it probably gets so many headaches. I got my share of them while being with- Ack, Misty, knock it off! Leggo!" He squirmed, finding himself on the receiving end of a headlock.

"You were going to say my name, weren't you, 'Ashley'?" The water trainer asked with a huff as she held onto her friend's head.

"Sorry, sorry! Just let go!" He couldn't help but laugh a bit.

Misty held onto the blond's head for a few more moments before letting go and taking a step back. "Well, at least we know you're still the immature brat you've always been." She couldn't help but give a smirk.

"Alright you two." Brock held up his hands to keep them from continuing on. After which, he and Misty continued on about the events in Scissor Street. How they met Suzy – Brock was kind enough to fill Ash in on the outright wonderful person that Suzy was and all she stood for – and the dealings with Team Rocket. Ash was incapable of hiding his mirth at the description of what Misty's makeover looked like, resulting in a glare from the redhead.

"I don't want to hear it from you, 'Miss' I smell like the freshest of vanilla with lovely pink nails and a super cute outfit'." Misty considers this for a second. "Maybe we should go shopping sometime. I'd LOVE to see what you look like in different outfits."

Ash just blanched at that, waving his hands. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry for laughing. Just no shopping trips!" That wasn't something he ever wanted to experience. He decided to change the subject. "So... um... you said something about a Vulpix, Brock?"

"Oh, yeah! Suzy felt that I would be able to do an amazing job at taking care of Vulpix for her, and so she gave it to me. He raised the Pokeball, letting the creature inside out of it.

"Vuuuuuuuuul." The Vulpix yawned, swishing its tails lazily behind it.

" _Vulpix, a Fox Pokémon. Its six tails are extremely beautiful. As it evolves, it grows even more tails. Vulpix uses powerful flame attacks."_

"Hey, it's really cute." Ash smiled and waved to the fox Pokemon, who just gave another yawn and turned its head with a bit of a huff. "... kind of has an attitude, huh?" He scratched his cheek, sweating a little.

Pikachu hopped down in front of Vulpix and smiled happily. "Pika!" At this, Vulpix actually looked at him and gave a tiny nod.

"What about you, Ash?" Misty asked, recalling her Psyduck finally. "Erika told us that you actually went to Saffron City on your own. You didn't blow it getting the Marsh Badge, did you?"

"Of course I didn't!" Ash quickly reached into his bag and pulled out the object in question, holding it up between his fingers with a smirk. "Got it on my first try. I am the one who will become a Pokemon Master after all." First, and thankfully, only try.

Misty was actually surprised by this. "No way, you're first try? How did you of all people even manage that when you were up against Psychic pokemon?"

The blond huffed at that. "For your information, I managed to put together an amazing strategy... and I caught a new Pokemon of my own as well."

"Well now, you're actually doing well on your own." Brock gave the younger boy a pat on the back. "We figured that you probably would have gotten into a whole heap of trouble by yourself."

'You have no idea...'

"What Pokemon did you catch?" Misty was curious to know just what Pokemon managed to help carry Ash's weight throughout such a battle.

Ash's lips curved into a huge grin, excited. "Oh man, wait until you see, Misty. Pinsir is amazing!" Pulling out Pinsir's Pokeball, he gave it a toss. "Come on out!"

Color drained from Misty's features. "Did you just say..." Her fear was realized when the Pokemon materialized. "Getitaway!" She jumped behind Brock, poking her head out to look at the _**BUG**_ in all its clawed, toothy, and spiky horned glory. "How could you catch such an ugly and disgusting creature?!"

Pinsir's eye twitched at the reaction from the girl, and to be called ugly and disgusting? What nerve! She was a beautiful, proud, and strong example of a specimen. Maybe she wasn't just like some of those pansy-looking little Pokemon this girl would probably like, but that was something she was glad for! Turning, she looked up at Ash and pointed in Misty's direction.

Ash, for his part, laughed in embarrassment. "Oh right, I forgot." He looks at the Bug type. "That's my friend Misty. She's... got this weird fear of bugs and Bug type Pokemon." Leans in close. "Even a little Caterpie could send her running in terror."

"It's not funny, Ashley Ketchum, and you know it!" Misty made sure to put emphasis on 'Ashley'. "Just you wait. We're going shopping later! I'm going to get you into the cutest and frilliest of dresses I can find!"

'I doubt it would be as frilly as the one I already have.' He still had that outfit in his bag.

Pinsir turned her attention back to Misty, giving her the kind of look that said 'you sayin' somethin', punk?' complete with pointing directly at her. This caused Misty to eep and disappear behind her Brock shield.

"Maybe it would be best to call back Pinsir for now?" Brock asked, sweating.

"Oh fiiiiiine." Ash recalled the beetle Pokemon. "But still, you should have seen the battle. Pinsir was able to deal with both Sabrina's Kadabra and Mr. Mime. Just plowed right through them like a bullet train!" He makes a shoom noise, moving his hand forward. In doing this, his bag jostled, and the frilled sleeve of the purple lolita dress poked out.

"A Kadabra, really?" Misty asked with some surprise before the movement of the sleeve caught her eye. "... hey Ash, what's that?" At the boy's obvious look of panic, and attempt at stuffing it back into the bag, she made her way slowly on over. "That looked like something frilly."

"No it didn't!" Ash quickly shook his head. "You were just seeing things." His embarrassed look didn't help matters any.

Brock shook his head. "No, it was definitely something frilly. I saw it too."

"It was just a towel! Really!"

Misty wiggled her fingers as she got close. "C'mon Ashley, show your friends what you have in your bag."

"No! It's nothing!" Ash took off running, with Misty chasing directly after him. "I mean it, Misty, it's nothing!"

Pikachu and Brock just stood there, watching the two run around the area making such a scene and causing other people to stare. After a moment, they both sighed. Well, it was nice to know that the dynamic hasn't really changed by much.

* * *

Ash just blushed as he, Misty, and Brock walked towards the Celadon Gym. Pikachu was back to resting over his shoulder. Behind him, Misty was trying to keep from snickering, but wasn't doing a very good job of it. After running around for a moment and tiring himself out, Ash finally caved and explained to his friends just what happened in Saffron. From the initial confrontation with Sabrina, to being turned into a doll, and to the dress he now owned.

His friends showed clear concern over the fact that he was stuck for a little while as just a doll, as well as ran the risk of being turned back into one if he didn't win. Though despite this, Misty couldn't resist audibly wishing she could have seen Ash as a doll, or seeing him wearing and battling while dressed in the outfit. To his embarrassment, Misty wanted to see him in the outfit later.

Brock piped back up. "At least you managed to help Sabrina overcome her issues." Even if the younger boy in front of hims was brash and immature, there really was something about him that managed to draw others towards him. "But you gotta tell me one thing."

"What's that?"

A blush appeared on Brock's face as it took on a dreamy look. "Was Sabrina cute~?" He regretted being unable to accompany his friend to Saffron, if only due to missing out on meeting a potentially cute girl.

"... of course." Misty rolled her eyes. Brock will be Brock.

"Ha ha..." Reaching into a side pocket of his bag, Ash pulled out a photo and showed it to his friends. The photo was one of both him and Sabrina, standing side by side and posing for the camera. He was still in the lolita outfit in the image. "Sabrina wanted to have a picture taken."

Brock just stared at the photo, entranced. "She's beautiful~ She can turn me into a doll and play with me any time."

"Riiiiiiiiight..." Misty shook her head before looking at the picture and noticing the outfit. "Ash, look at you! You look so elegant and demure! Now I really want to see you in that outfit in person later." Her eyes sparkled dreamily as she imagined being able to just touch that kind of outfit. "You're so lucky."

"... I think I broke them, Pikachu." Ash could only stare at his friends, hypnotized by the lone photograph.

"Pi..." His partner could only nod in exasperation.

After finally getting his friends back to their senses, they reached their destination of the Celadon Gym. The glass double doors slid open, and Ash made his way on through. His nose twitched slightly, taking in the familiar scents of the gym that were slowly returning to normal. The interior was also quickly being restored, though perhaps a little different than how it initially was in terms of greenery.

"Hello? I'm back." Ash called out as he walked a little farther into the gym. Almost instantly, he was surrounded by several of the girls, asking him how his trip went, as well as welcoming him back. "Wh- whoa, hold on."

"Ashley~" The brown wavy-haired girl with the closed eyes let out as she wrapped her arms around the boy's shoulders. "We missed our favorite little cutie so much~" She said in a sing-song voice, feigning a bit of sadness as her cheek touched his. "How we were lost without your cute little face and your soft, bright hair to fill our hearts with such meaning!"

"What she means is, welcome back."

"How did your battle with Sabrina go? Is she really as unnerving as people say?"

"She didn't hurt you, did she?"

"Pikachu, how would you like another cheek massage?" Pikachu was in her arms in an instant

Ash could only blush at all of the attention he was getting, unsure of just how to respond, and who to respond to. "I- uh- it all went fine, and I got the Marsh Badge." He had to admit, though, that it felt kind of nice to have a bunch of people interested in how and what he did; even if it did mean they were treating him like he was a younger sister of sorts. "And Sabrina was kinda unnerving at first, but only until you get to know her. She's a great person." Despite having her emotions back, though, Sabrina could still monotone like a pro... when she wasn't being all happy and playful. Locking up your own feelings since you were a child was bound to have some odd affects.

Brock's jaw dropped at seeing his friend surrounded by so many girls willing to hug him and be so close to him. It just wasn't fair! Why did Ash get all the luck with women, especially when he was too young to even appreciate such a thing. An idea soon flashed through his mind. "Ladies, what do you say? Think I could join this gym as well? I bet I'd look amazing dressed up." He held a hand to his chin and gave a grin, teeth sparkling.

Misty, Ash, and the girls of the gym stared at him and tried to imagine the rock trainer dressed as a girl and being convincing at it. After a moment, they all reached the same conclusion. "... nah"

Brock slumped in defeat.

"Say, uh, where's Erika?" Ash wiggled some more amongst the attention.

"Oh, Miss Erika drifted off to sleep again in the gym." Hina replied. "She's at the northern edge."

"Thanks!" Managing to slip out of the group, he quickly made his way away from them. Pikachu caught up to him, as did Misty and Brock. One of the things he noticed upon getting into the gym area proper was that there were a lot more hedges in place, arranged in various patterns. Most of the trees present were just saplings at the moment, and the ground was covered with fresh turf.

"Seems like you've managed to get along with them really well in such a short time." Misty finally commented as she took in the look of the gym. "Especially after where your mouth got you the first time."

"Yeah, well... I think they're more interested in seeing me embarrassed." Ash's cheeks were still red. "It's like they decided I'm some kind of younger sister figure or something, and even though they know my secret, most of them seem okay with it."

Misty thinks about that for a moment. "It probably does help that nobody could tell you're a boy when they look at you. Out of sight, out of mind, right?" It probably also helped that he was still so young, too. "Well, think of it like this. If you're going to be treated like a younger sister, then you will get to know how I felt back home." Sure, maybe not exactly, but she could only imagine just what embarrassing things Ash would have to deal with.

Ash was about to reply when he came to an abrupt halt, placing a hand to his head. A confused look flashed across his features as he scanned the gym. "What was..."

"Is something wrong?" Brock asked, both him and Misty looking at their friend with a hint of worry.

"Pikapi?"

"I dunno, I just feel something." Ash turned direction and slowly made his way over to a hedge, where a rustling could be seen. As he neared it, he came to a stop. "Hey, I know you're in there. Come on out. I'm not gonna hurt you."

The rustling went silent for a spell, until a section of it parted to reveal a small, sauropod-like head with a brown jaw and dark green 'helmet' on top of its head. It looked at the trainer with a hint of worry and nervousness, giving a tiny semi-wail. This prompted Ash to pull out his dex.

" _Tropius, the Fruit Pokémon. Tropius can fly through the air by flapping the leaves on its back. It grows stronger in bright sunlight."_

"Oh, it's a Tropius." Misty said in interest as she walked over. "Though usually they're over six feet tall." The one in the hedge looked to only be under three feet tall.

Brock followed. "It appears to just be a child; probably not that old."

At the sight of the two other humans walking over, the tiny Tropius quickly pulled its head back into hiding.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ash asked, kneeling down before the foliage. "You don't have to worry about us or anything." He didn't know why, but he could sense a slew of negative feelings coming from the Pokemon, and it made him want to help.

Pikachu hopped down in front of the hedge. "Pika-pika, chu?"

Tropius poked part of its head out. "Nwoooh..."

After speaking with the other Pokemon, Pikachu's ears drooped. "Did you figure out what was wrong, buddy?"

"I'm afraid that the little one is suffering from various issues ranging from doubt to confidence problems." Everyone turned to see Erika walking up, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "It's a shame, really. I'm trying to do my best to help it, but it'll take some time."

Ash was the first one to respond, surprising Misty and Brock a little. "What happened to it?"

"Oh, hello Ashley. It's good to see you back again. I hope to hear about your trip and meeting with Sabrina later over some tea." Her smile turned into a frown. "The poor thing was abandoned."

Brock frowned. "What?"

"Who could do such a thing?" Misty asked, looking towards the hedge.

"It was one of my recent challengers." Erika looked at the three. "A young boy with purple hair and a rather stern face. He tried using that little one in the match against me, but it didn't do well at all. Even though he managed to win in the end with his other Pokemon, he decided to deem Tropius as too weak, and abandoned it right there on the spot."

"That's horrible..." Misty placed her hand to her mouth.

"If it was just releasing Tropius, then that would be one thing." The grass trainer shook her head. "But he pointedly told it that it was useless, ignoring the fact that it is just a child."

"... so it was that guy?" Ash and Pikachu could both feel a resurgence of annoyance at remembering him.

Misty quickly turned her attention to the duo. "You've met that jerk?! What's his name? I want to find him and beat his head in!" Her fist was clenched as a fire lit in her eyes.

Sweating a little, the blond raised his hands. "I don't know his name! We just met him when we were leaving Celadon. He seemed like he was in a hurry to get to the gym, and got annoyed that we bumped shoulders."

Erika tapped her chin in thought. "Oh yes, now that I remember, he did mention being delayed in getting here by some 'blonde haired girl and her Pikachu daydreaming in the middle of the road', so I figured you two might have met.

"You didn't say anything about me, did you?"

"I may have mentioned that you were my student. He asked if you were strong, and I simply told him that you had quite the potential and hidden strength. I think he wants to face you in a battle someday to see for himself."

"And Ash won't lose to some jerk creep like him!" Misty shouted. "Heck, I'll be the one to destroy him if I ever see him! Did he even give a name?"

"He said his name was Paul, from the Sinnoh region."

"Paul, huh?" Ash asked, filing that name away for if he ever met him again. Normally, he'd get more worked up over someone like that, but his attention was still focused on the Tropius that clearly needed some help. Though it was clear that it would be hard to get it to come out, unless...

Pulling out a Pokeball, he gave it a toss, letting Charmeleon out of his ball.

"Ooohhh, Charmander evolved!" Brock seemed rather happy to know that. Damian would probably be kicking himself if he saw Charmeleon now.

"Oh wow, look at it! You managed to not only catch a new Pokemon, but get one of your others to evolve AND get a new badge, Ash. Are you actually starting to finally show some talent as a trainer?"

"Ha ha, very funny. You should be a comedian." Ash grumbled as he looked at the fire lizard. "Charmeleon, I need your help with something."

"Char?" He tilted his head.

"In those bushes, there's a young Pokemon that was outright abandoned by its own trainer recently, and so it is feeling really bad. Do you think you can talk to it and explain how I want to help it?"

Erika observed the scene with curiosity. "How would Charmeleon be able to help the little one?" Charmeleon were also known to sometimes be a bit difficult to handle due to their more violent tendencies, so she couldn't help but smile at seeing the boy being able to talk to his so casually.

"It was abandoned as a Charmander." Misty supplied. "Its previous trainer left it on a rock telling it that he would come back for it, but never did. We managed to rescue it when it started to rain, and it eventually decided it wanted to be with Ash." Admittedly, Brock was the one who was most worried about Charmander, but it was a better match for Ash.

Charmander frowns, nodding. He realized what the other Pokemon was likely going through, and made his way over to the foliage, poking it. When Tropius's head emerged, Charmeleon crossed his arms and started to speak in a rather gruff, but understanding manner. Tropius, for its part, seemed depressed and unsure of itself, thinking of itself as weak and useless.

Charmeleon scoffed in response, telling it that it was just a kid, so of course it'd be weak right now, and that all it needed to do was train and grow. When the grass sauropod told him that was easy for him to say because he looked strong, he puffed up his chest in pride and blew a bit of smoke. However, he told Tropius that like the humans said, he was abandoned himself, and ended up unsure of himself. He thought all he needed was strength, but realized that he also had Ash.

The two of them conversed for a little while longer until Tropius slowly made its way out of the hedge and towards Ash. It still seemed nervous and shy, unsure of what it was doing. However it tentatively leaned in and brushed its head against Ash's hand. "Twooooh..."

Ash gave a wide smile and knelt down, rubbing the Tropius gently on the head. "There you go. There isn't anything to worry about. You're safe here at the gym." He laughed as it gave him a small lick on the cheek. "Forget about that Paul guy. You'll get even stronger here than you would have with him, and you'll find a bunch of amazing friends here who'll wanna help you." He motioned to the other Grass Pokemon.

Erika stepped next to Misty and Brock, watching Ash. "I didn't expect him to be able to get Tropius to open up so quickly like that. It still has a ways to go, but I'd call this some progress."

Brock glanced towards Erika. "I can help put together a diet for it that will help it grow quickly and healthy." At her questioning look, he continued. "I'm working on becoming the world's best breeder, so helping to make sure that Pokemon are healthy is my life's goal."

"Thank you, Brock, I would appreciate that."

The rock trainer's face went red at the praise as he nodded quickly.

* * *

"... can you tell me again why I have to take part in this?" Ash asked with a hint of annoyance as he walked alongside Erika. It was close to night now, and they were making their way back to the gym. The young trainer was carrying his bag and dealing with a look of clear embarrassment.

"I feel as if it would be a good time for you and the other girls to get to know each other, Ashley. After all, getting to know your fellow colleagues and be able to get along like a family is very important." Erika did like to view trainers that were part of a gym to be like a family of sorts.

Ash continued to blush. "But why do we gotta do it as a sleepover?"

"Ah, well, it was actually the other girls' idea." She smiled at his confusion. "Well, when the other girls realized that 'poor little Ashley' has probably never experienced the joy of spending time with other girls trading stories, playing games, and taking part in a variety of other similar activities, they decided that this problem must be rectified."

"They just want to embarrass me, you know."

"Maybe a little, but they do seem to genuinely like you, Ashley. So is it really a problem to spend some time getting to know them some more, and even trying to have some fun doing so?"

"Well... not really." Scratching Pikachu on the ear, he thought about it. Admittedly, he was kind of curious to know how it would go, and if it would be fun or not. At the same time, he felt somewhat anxious to even take part in something like this... not that he would admit to that. "I can always give it a shot. I doubt I'll have fun, though."

Erika reaches and ruffles his hair some. "Being adventurous and giving it a try is the most you can do, Ashley."

Arriving at the gym and making their way on in, they were greeted by Hina, who was dressed in a simple pair of blue cotton pajamas. "Well if it isn't the guest of honor." Her hand extended outwards and grabbed Ash by his own hand. "This way, princess, your party awaits~"

"Will you guys stop calling me that?" The blond grumbled out as he was led beyond the reception area and into the gym proper. Upon the ground was a mass collection of pillows and blankets, and several tables were lined up containing various snacks and drinks. Balloons, ribbons, and a whole plethora of decorations were strewn about rather haphazardly.

It was impossible to also miss several televisions set up, along with what seemed to be various different video game systems, which kind of surprised Ash. He hadn't expected to see anything like that here. His eyes managed to make out what seemed to be several kinds of board games, as well as laptops, some music players, and a whole collection of books and DVDs.

"Wait, she's a bit early! Hurry up!"

"Don't rush us, this is delicate work!"

Ash watched as they put the finishing touches on things by using a Tangela and Weepinbell's vines to hang up a banner labeled 'The Welcome Ashley To Celadon Gym Celebration Party' in the center, with a rather amateurish drawing of Ashley and Pikachu on it.

Hina looked down at the 11-year-old. "Well, what do you think?"

He could only blink for a moment, staring at the banner, to the decorations, to the snacks and drink, and even to the other girls. Some of them were looking at him for his reaction, and once again he found himself able to somehow sense what he thought was the anticipation they held in regards to what he thought. Before arriving, all he expected was that the sleepover would just be full of a bunch of girls trying to get him to just do girly things and embarrass him. Though now that he was here, he noticed that even if there was going to be some of that, there was a lot more too it that honestly could be fun.

A small blush appeared on his cheeks as he looked to the side, watching Pikachu bound over to a table and swipe a snack. "A party for us, huh?" His lips turned into a wide smirk. "Well since you all went to the trouble of putting together this awesome party, then how can I not like it?" What was he was worried about again?

* * *

"So you were really aboard the St. Anne when it went down?" A girl asked in surprise as the group was gathered around, trading various stories. "You must have been really scared."

"Well... I was more in a panic about getting my Butterfree back." Ash scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Sometime during the course of the party his clothes were changed into some pajamas. They weren't the pajamas that he originally brought, however. The girls had managed to get him into a light pink nightgown with short, puffy sleeves. He initially voiced his complaints, but gradually forgot about them when the girls got him involved in the various games and activities. One of the said games was a party-style fighting game featuring various Pokemon that he really got into.

He took a bite of some yakiniku. There was even an area carefully set up with a small grill, dirt and rocks surrounding it to make sure there was no issue of fire. Pikachu sat in his lap, enjoying a bottle of ketchup. The electric mouse had found the bottle on a table and had quickly fallen in love with the sauce. "We kinda got knocked out, so we were unconscious while the ship sank, and only came to when we were at the bottom."

Next to him rested Tropius. The young Pokemon was still unsure about dealing with most of the other people at the gym, but seemed to at least feel comfortable being around Ash. In fact, they discovered that when Ash wasn't around, it would hide in the bushes and keep to itself.

The girl with the brown wavy hair, Ridah, placed a finger to her lips. "But to hear that it was Team Rocket who got involved with the St. Anne like that. That's surprising."

"What do you mean?" Ash tilted his head.

"You think the media would have reported that Team Rocket was involved."

"Unless they couldn't." Hina provided, her arms crossed. "What if whoever leads Team Rocket has massive influence, and can control what gets to and from the media?"

"So then some kind of super deep corruption?"

"You know what I hear?" The green-haired girl with glasses, Arina, said as she pushed her glasses up. The shine from her lenses glaring brightly. "I hear that Team Rocket is in total control of the gaming district of Celadon. Anybody who even attempts to cheat the house is taken away and never heard from again." She makes a cutting of the throat motion with her finger.

"Gloom!" The plant Pokemon hides behind Erika, along with a few smaller grass types.

"Knock it off, Arina, you're scaring the Pokemon." One of the girls shivered a bit herself.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Ah, I can't believe that. There's no way an organization that hires Jessie and James can be that sinister and capable of all that." He just couldn't see it being possible.

"Pi" Pikachu nodded in agreement.

"I don't know..." One of the girls frowned a little, but shook her head. "Well enough of that. I think it's movie time!" She picked up a collection of movies. "What'll we watch, gang?"

Ash looked closely at the movies to see what the titles were. Among the collection was That Darn Meowth, Yamask of the Opera, Enter the Beartic, Gone with the Pokemon, Princess Pokemon's Holiday, Dirty Herdier, and a bunch of other movies. Some of them by an actor named Brad Van Darn. One of the movies managed to catch his eye. "Oh! I remember this one! I saw it when I was younger at the movie theater." It was a movie that starred a boy named Red and his talking Clefairy as they got into all kinds of misadventures.

"What about this one?" Ridah held up a movie that had a French title to it. "It's one of the latest movies starring that popular actress from Kalos, Diantha."

Ash looked confused. "Who's Diantha?" He noticed everybody staring directly at him. "Wh- what? Am I supposed to know her?"

"Diantha is one of the most amazing actresses."

"Not only that, but she's the Champion of the Kalos Region."

That caught the boy's attention. "The Champion of Kalos? Really?"

A girl nodded. "She just recently became the Champion, but she's been an actress for a while."

"She must be really strong then..." All Ash could really think about as the girls popped the movie in was what the woman was like. Actually, the revelation caused him to think a little more on the subject. It didn't even dawn on him that there were other champions in other regions. In hindsight, it really should have, but he wasn't known to think that far ahead beyond what was in front of him.

In fact, he didn't even know anything about the Elite 4 as a whole. His big goal at the moment was to defeat the league tournament, Elite 4, and Champion, but he didn't even know who the members of the Elite 4 were. Not just of the Indigo League, but of the other regions' leagues as well.

As he sat there, vaguely paying attention to the movie that was playing, Ash allowed his thoughts to wander. He needed to learn more about these people, and was questioning his readiness at even declaring he would beat the Champion, who he didn't even know.

'A Pokemon Master should be prepared.' He thought to himself as he nodded. It was something he was going to try and work on. His attention returned to the real world, and to the movie. Reaching over, he snagged a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into his mouth. It really wasn't so bad hanging out with everybody here, and he was definitely having fun.

His feelings returned to embarrassment later, however, when the girls decided it was 'give little Princess Ashley a makeover' time.

* * *

Author's Notes: Being Ashley is such suffering.

The next chapter will actually involve some more settling into life in Celadon and training for Ash before he heads off to Fuchsia.


	10. It Makes A Lot of Scents

Celadon's New Blossom

Ash let out a small sneeze for what felt like the umpteenth time, though he was at least starting to do so less and less as things settled in. It was no mystery as to just what it was that was causing him to sneeze as he looked around the small perfume shop that was owned by the Celadon Gym. It didn't have anything to do with allergies, which he was honestly thankful for. No, it had more to do with the fact that the perfumes and fragrances were really good at tickling his nose hairs and clearing his sinuses. Some of the girls mentioned that maybe it meant he had a really good sense of smell, and the perfumes were helping him to realize it, but he found the idea silly.

All he knew was that everything smelled, and he wasn't sure he liked the fact that he was starting to be able to identify several of the scents with just a sniff alone.

"Ashley," one of the older girls near a display called. "Could you please bring that box over here."

"Ah, right!" Grabbing the box in question, Ash carefully made his way on over. The reason for his careful steps was due to the white heeled shoes he was wearing as part of his work uniform. Other than the heeled shoes, he wore a sleeveless dark pink and black dress. He was thankful that he got to wear a modified version of it due to being a younger worker. Whereas the older girls' dress was a mini-dress, his went to just above his knees. Over the dress was a matching pink, black, and yellow bolero jacket.

He wasn't sure which was more disconcerting; the fact that he was wearing this outfit without feeling like he was going to die of embarrassment after everything that has happened already, or the fact that he was more worried about the length of the skirt and the modesty issue associated with it.

Stepping over to the girl with the box, he set it down in front of her before standing back up. "Here's the box you wanted, Varia."

"Why thank you, Ashley." The woman, Varia, opened the box and pulled out some of the bottles from inside and placed them on the shelf next to her. "You've really been a lot of help today. At first I wasn't sure how to feel about the idea of you working here, especially after everything you said the other day... and other factors that I believe you are aware of."

"Be really hard not to be aware of them." Ash replied dryly.

Varia ignored that. "But if Lady Erika is fine with it, then I suppose we should be as well." She held out her hand and placed it under Ash's chin, lifting his head up. "And it's amazing how well you seem to clean up, making for a better looking proper girl than the scruffy looking little boy from a while ago." Not paying attention to his glare, she ran her fingers across his earlobe. "And what's this? Did the girls at the gym even manage to drag you off and get your ears pierced as well? It's honestly hard to remember that you were ever that boy."

It was true. A couple of the girls did manage to drag him off to the salon earlier that day. They mainly just wanted to hang out with him and do some more bonding. He didn't think much of it at the time, and it was rather nice to get his hair washed again by a professional. Though the less said about everything else, the better.

Long story short, the salon trip ended with his ears getting pierced, and the girls agreeing to buy him whatever sweets he wanted in compensation to help him feel better. The earrings were, thankfully, small and not all that obstructive at all. They were tiny pink roses, and he could still feel where they were. It bothered him a bit, but he was told that eventually he wouldn't notice them as much.

As he stared at the woman before him, Ash wasn't sure if she was trying to purposefully get under his skin, or just stating her observations out loud without really even thinking, but it was starting to get at him with how little she considered about personal space. Opening his mouth, he was about to say something when the bell at the entrance rang, signaling that a customer had arrived. Almost instantly, Ash was left by himself as Varia quickly made her way on over to the woman who had just entered the shop.

Sighing a bit, he trudged on back over to the counter and leaned over it, resting a cheek on the palm of his hand. He was bored, and he didn't have Pikachu with him at the moment to help matters either. His companion was off with Misty and spending the time with her. He guessed it was a good thing, because otherwise the electric mouse would probably get bored out of his tiny skull.

Anais, one of the other women that usually worked there, leaned over the counter next to him and tilted her head. "Hon, do you know what one of the main requirements for working at a job like this is?"

"No, wha- hey!" Ash blinked as a pair of fingers snaked out and pushed the ends of his lips into a smile. "Leggo!"

"The requirement is to smile." She gives him a smile of her own. "This is something that's important when it comes to a position in where you are constantly interacting with the customers. You'll scare them away if you're all frowny and negative, and we can't really have that now, can we?" She received a shake of the head. "Good, so even if you aren't feeling it, I want to see you smile. Come on, give it a try."

"Alright, alright, I'll do it." It wasn't like he was any stranger to doing just that, after all. Taking in a deep breath, he allowed himself to relax and give a wide smile. Before he could say anything else, he was snatched up into a hug, his face jammed firmly into Anais's chest.

"You're so precious! You should really smile more. Why, I bet so many customers would be willing to buy from such a cute little girl like..." Anais trailed off, noticing Ash's struggling. After a brief moment of confusion, she realized the issue and let him go, watching as the blond trainer fell to the ground gasping for air. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Ashley! I didn't mean to do that."

All Ash could really think of as he tried to regain his composure was just how touchy-feely all of the women here were, and he wasn't sure if he would survive.

Soon, after recovering, Ash followed the women around closely as they indoctrinated him into the various tasks he would be taking part in on the job, as well as took him through a crash course on some more of the perfumes that he would be dealing with. They mostly showed him some of the more popular fragrances, but also mixed in a few lesser known ones for variety.

It wasn't something that he wanted to admit out loud to his co-workers, especially not after being so vocal about it the other day, but Ash honestly found several of the scents to be kind of nice. He was almost certain that they already knew, however, due in part to some of his reactions likely giving him away. After having grown accustomed to it for a few days, he figured he was partial to the fragrances that contained vanilla in them.

"This one, Ashley, is Juicy Blossom." The third woman, Sayuko, proceeded to give it a small spray, allowing her young co-worker to get a whiff of it. "Well?"

Ash's nose twitched as he took it in. "I think that's orange blossom, vanilla tincture, hyacinth, jonquil, and... not sure what else." How was it that his life turned into this? Here he was, a Pokemon Master to be, standing in a perfume shop and finding he had the ability to differentiate a collection of scents from perfumes with just a sniff.

"They were right! You do have a really outstanding sense of smell." Varia seemed rather ecstatic over this. "After just a few hours, you're capable of identifying individual scents from various different mixtures with just a quick sniff." She reaches over and pokes the boy's nose. "I'm jealous! You have an extraordinary talent with that nose of yours."

"Maybe it was your destiny to work with perfume?" Anais's eyes sparkled as she looked directly at him. "Ashley, honey, stick with us and we'll help you foster your skills and become an extraordinary perfumer."

Ash blushed at the attention they were giving him, and his mind briefly wandered as he imagined himself doing just that. All he could see was himself selling perfume while Gary accumulated more and more fame as a trainer, taunting him about his failure but saying he always had a place providing his female fans with perfume. He quickly shook his head to chase away the horrible thoughts.

Thankfully, the shop's entry bell jingled, providing a much needed distraction. His co-workers had decided to give him some experience in dealing with the customers and providing them with some samples, which really wasn't all that hard of a job to do. He just had to greet them and be friendly, asking if they wanted to try one of the products. It was a simple task, and a good way to get his mind off of the subject of Gary.

"Hello~! Welcome to The Blossoming Gloom." He put forth a bright and friendly smile, and came to an outright halt when he saw just who was standing at the entrance. 'Nononononono' He thought over and over in his mind, because standing right there before him was Gary. What was he doing there? From what Prof. Oak had said, he already got his Rainbow Badge a while back!

"So this is the shop owned by the Celadon Gym, huh?" Gary asked, looking around for a moment. "Quaint little place I suppose. Not sure how I could have missed it on my first trip here." Upon finally noticing Ash, he raised an eyebrow. "Do I know you? You look awfully familiar."

"I don't think so, sir." The blond answered, still smiling even amidst some clear nervousness. It felt as if butterflies were outright punching at his insides, but he managed to continue on. "My name is Ashley. I'm a trainer at the Celadon Gym under Miss Erika~." Please, for the love of whatever dignity he had left at the moment, don't tell him that Prof. Oak let his grandson know about this at all.

Gary rubbed his chin as he leaned a bit closer to Ash. "Even your names are a bit similar." He muttered with a clear hint of curiosity.

"I'm sorry?"

"Hrmph, nothing much at all." His rival waved a hand. "It's just that you look a little like some other trainer I know, and even have similar names." His lips curved into a smirk. "But you look way more competent than he did the last time I saw him. You should have seen him; dressed in his pajamas still. The loser was so excited about starting his Pokemon journey that he ended up oversleeping and arriving way after the other two trainers and I picked out our Pokemon." He let out a small laugh.

Ash's eyebrow twitched as his left hand clenched and unclenched. 'Don't blow it, Ash. Keep your cool.' He had to think to himself to prevent him from blowing his cover. "Well... maybe he just had a rough start and is doing better now?"

"The last I heard about him was a week ago, and he only had three badges. I, on the other hand, have five badges." Holding up his badge case, he shows off all five of his badges to Ash, who could only feel a surging amount of jealousy. "Ashey Boy just isn't cut out for a trainer it seems. A little over three months and he only has around three badges? At this rate, he won't be ready in time for the next Indigo League Conference"

Ash's rage subsided for a moment. "When does the next conference start?"

"Next August. This year's conference is already scheduled to start in less than a week, meaning I ended up just being at three badges short of participating. I mean, I COULD probably obtain those other badges in no time, but I might as well go a bit slower and give Ashey Boy at least a sporting chance." He shrugged. "So we'll have to wait another whole year before even being able to compete."

A whole year? That was quite a ways off, meaning that he still had plenty of time to obtain four more badges and get lots training in. He had never been more happy to speak to Gary than now. "It looks like you've already got the Rainbow Badge, so why are you back here in Celadon?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Gary asked. "Celadon City is _**THE**_ place in Kanto to be for entertainment and passing the time away. It has the largest gaming and entertainment district in the region, not to mention shopping district." He shrugged again. "Also, one of the girls heard this place carries some popular brand of perfume known as Daffodil Dream, and so I figured why not? What kind of guy would I be if I didn't provide a woman with something she desired, hm?"

Girls? Oh, that's right. Professor Oak had mentioned it to him a little while back. The mayor of Pallet – Prof. Oak's brother and Gary's great uncle – had hired a bunch of women and a driver to accompany Gary all over Kanto in an effort to try and brag up Pallet Town to the masses. That another member of the illustrious Oak family had begun his journey as a trainer and was sure to bring fame. It must be nice to have relatives that are so influential that you could just ride on their coattails to stardom.

"Daffodil Dream? Oh yes! We do have that, hold on a moment~." Forcing a bright smile, Ash walked a little distance away before returning with the perfume in question. He had briefly considered giving him the wrong one, or even dumping the contents onto him by 'accident', but figured that would only get him in more trouble. "Here we are, Daffodil Dream. It's a very popular fragrance among our stock."

"That's the one." Gary said, snapping his fingers. "You're definitely different from Ashey Boy; you know what you're doing." Taking the perfume, he made his way over to the counter and paid for it. After which, he made his way back towards the entrance, but not before giving Ash a tip of 1200 PokeDollars and a two-fingered salute. "Thanks babe, you were a real help." He then walked out of the store.

Ash was silent for a long moment, working on digesting what just happened. Did... did he just get called 'babe' by Gary Oak? Almost instantly, he collapsed to his hands and knees at the horror of it all, looking a bit green around the gills. "He called me babe. I'm going to be siiiiiiiiiick." He let out, tears flowing in despair.

"Um... I guess you knew that boy?" Sayuko asked as the girls walked up to him.

Varia looked between her co-workers. "I remember seeing him being driven up to the gym with a bunch of cheerleaders a little while back, chanting his name like he was a celebrity."

"Oh right! Really full of himself for a kid who just recently started out as a trainer."

"He's supposed to be my rival!" Ash cried out.

The three just blinked down at him.

"Oh... right, being called 'babe' by the one you consider to be your rival would definitely cause that reaction."

"I wouldn't want to be called 'babe' by someone who is that full of himself either."

"I think it's also worse for Princess, here, considering her... physical disposition."

That caused the three women to look at each other before looking back down at their younger associate. "Oh..." They all let out at the same time.

Ash felt like he could just die right now.

* * *

"How are you feeling now, Ashley?" Anais asked as the group of four sat in a booth at a nearby ice cream shop. After having gotten off work, the women decided to treat their younger co-worker to some ice cream, to see if it would help lift his spirits some after the rather... stressful encounter he had earlier involving his meeting with Gary.

"A little better, I guess." Despite saying that, the blond was clearly going to town on the ice cream sundae he was eating. "I can only imagine the look on Gary's face if he ever finds out who I really am. Just knowing he called me 'babe' would probably cause the greatest freakout ever." Sure, he'd be beyond embarrassed himself as well, but he figured it could be considered a bittersweet victory.

Varia elbowed him gently in the shoulder. "More importantly, you got a 1200 pokedollar tip from him! See, working at the perfume shop isn't going to be so bad, right? You'll get a paycheck, and you've already seen the occasional tips, right?"

"Well... I suppose." Ash couldn't help but blush in embarrassment. It was true, he had gotten a few tips today. Besides the tip that Gary had given him, some older gentleman who was looking for a something for his wife gave him 1000 Pokedollars as a tip because he reminded him of his granddaughter.

Taking another bite of his sundae, he thought on it for a moment. "I could have bought this on my own, you know." He certainly would have had enough money.

"Yeah, but you looked really down." Sayuko replied, but then leaned in close to him. "Besides, you managed to get a little extra ice cream as well. When we told the guy making it that it was to make you feel better, he figured a little extra would help. Being an adorable little girl does have some advantages."

The question of if that was even something that was okay for someone working in a business to do flashed across Ash's mind, but was drowned out by the thought of eating more of his ice cream. Taking a bite of the banana, he wasn't sure how to feel about knowing he could be treated completely different in certain instances just because he was presenting himself as a girl now. Getting a little extra when it comes to sweets, or some extra tips, was honestly kind of nice though.

On the flip-side, he also had to deal with a few other boys around his age attempting to flirt with him, which happened a couple of times as he was providing samples. He found himself being asked if he was available later to get a meal. It was really annoying that even after saying no, they attempted to ask a couple more times until Varia and the others managed to step in. What was up with that anyway? What was wrong with just a simple no?

The door to the ice cream parlor opened up, with Misty and Brock entering. Pikachu, who was in Misty's arms, immediately made a beeline towards his trainer upon noticing him. "Pikapi!"

"Pikachu!" Ash caught the electric mouse in a hug and laughed. "Man, I missed you, buddy. It's glad to see you again. Want some ice cream?"

Pikachu nodded in excitement and quickly took a bite of the confectionery that sat before both him and Ash. "Pikaaaaaaaa~" he let out in delight.

"Well hello ladies! It's a pleasure to meet you again~!" Brock clasped his hands together as he stared in delight at Ash's co-workers. "How are you on this fine day~?" This caused both Ash and Misty to just sigh out in tandem.

Making her way over to Ash, Misty sat down in the booth behind him. "So Ashley, how was your first day working at the perfume shop? Didn't get on these ladies nerves again like last time, did you?"

"It went just fine." He answered, giving Pikachu another bite of ice cream. "Apparently I have a talent for telling scents apart and figuring what each perfume is made from." He held up the money he got from earlier. "And the job is really good for getting tips too."

"Oooohhh, so that means you're finally getting close to paying for my bike, aren't you?" She smirked a bit at seeing his reaction. "It's so nice of you, Ashley, to work so hard in order to pay your dear friend Misty back."

"Yeah, well, I'm a generous and amazing person after all." Ash crossed his arms, blushing. It was one of the reasons Erika got him a job after all, to help him learn about responsibility and finally pay the bike back. Hopefully once that was dealt with, he would never have to worry about having to pay off another bike for someone again. "Don't get too big of a head over it."

"Princess here did a fine job of helping out at the store." Varia wrapped an arm around her associate's shoulder, using the nickname that seemed to be gaining more and more usage, much to said associate's chagrin. "In fact, I wish she could help out all the time. The customers really love her, and it's nice to have someone around who is a little younger and can relate to some of our more youthful clientele."

"It really is true what the others say. She really can be like a younger sister when you manage to get her to open up." Anais reaches over and places a hand on the back of Ash's hand. "Really rough around the edges, but a joy to deal with when you get beyond that."

Even if he tried, Ash would find difficulty in keeping a smile from appearing at the praise. He watched as Brock just sat down in a booth, dejected at the girls not paying attention to him. He then watched as one of the employees raised a remote and turned one of the televisions on.

" _Welcome back folks,"_ The announcer said, showing off what seemed to be a fighting ring. _"We're approaching the end to this exciting Pokemon Number One Grand Prix Tournament! Located live at the Celadon City Convention Hall, and brought to you by the Silph Corporation of Saffron City!"_

Ash blinked for a moment before slamming a fist into his hand in realization. "Oh right, the Silph Co. mentioned something about that when I visited Saffron!" He also saw a few posters advertising it, but forgot it was today. "If I would have thought about it, I could have probably entered Primeape into it."

"Too bad. Primeape would have loved to try his hand at facing all those other Fighting types." Brock said, nodding his head.

Misty gave a nervous laugh. "Maybe a little too much."

" _This has been a rousing event! Many trainers have come from all over! From here in our very own Kanto, to Sinnoh, and even as far away as Unova! So many Pokemon have tried their hand at being the best, all for a chance to take home the golden championship belt!"_ The screen panned around to show various competitors and Pokemon, and finally stopped to zoom in on the belt in question.

"Think of all the money you could exchange that belt for." Sayuko let out in awe. Whoever managed to win that would be set for a while if they played their cards right.

" _Now, let's give a hand for the two contestants that have managed to get this far! In this corner is the imposing figure of Giant Takada and his Hitmonlee!"_ The camera panned to show off the figure in trench coat and hat, waving their arms as their Hitmonlee flexes its legs in the ring.

"Hey... that person seems familiar for some reason." Ashley couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was strange.

"Pi..."

Misty and Brock noticed too.

" _And in the other corner is his opponent, Anthony! A man who is putting it all on the line to win! Here with his Hitmonchan!"_ The camera zoomed on a tall, muscular man in a white shirt, his arms crossed as he stared at his Hitmonchan sending out punches in the ring. _"Now, without further ado, let us begin!"_

And begin it did. The fight raged on for a few as both Pokemon traded lightning fast punches and kicks, seemingly evenly matched with neither interested in yielding to the other. Things seemed to be going more in Hitmonchan's favor. At least, until it came to a stop and seemed to have trouble moving. This opened it for a series of attacks from its opponent.

Misty frowned. "What happened? Hitmonchan was doing so well."

Ash could have sworn he saw something strange go on in the ring, but figured it was probably his imagination.

The fierce battle eventually came to a close as Hitmonlee landed a decisive kick to Hitmonchan's face, knocking it flat onto its back on the ring, where it didn't get back up. The man, Anthony, looked distraught as he held his face in his hands as a young girl walked up and tried to comfort him. He gave her a hug before climbing into the ring and helping his Pokemon up.

"It looked like he really wanted to win, too." Ash commented as he watched the man hug both his Hitmonchan and who was likely his daughter.

" _Anthony and Hitmonchan put up a marvelous show, ladies and gentlemen!"_ The announcer called as the crowd applauded for the muscular man as he wiped away a lone tear. _"However, let's give it up for the winner of this tournament, the mighty Giant Takada and Hitmonlee!"_

The view switched to Giant Takada standing and holding the championship belt above his head as a woman with a mic stood next to him. The crowd didn't sound as thrilled, even calling out that there must have been cheating going on. _"Tell us, Giant Takada, what do you have to say about the accusations that are being tossed at you in regards to your victory?"_

" _Well, it's hardly an insult to us at all."_

"That voice..." Ash's eyes went wide.

" _Us? What do you mean?"_

A second voice popped up, though clearly strained. _"She means that to us, it's glorious applause!"_ In an instant, the coat is tossed away, revealing the figure to have been Jessie and James all along! James' legs trembled as he held Jessie up.

Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu stood up quickly. "Team Rocket!"

"You mean _**THAT**_ Team Rocket?" Varia asked, remembering the trio from the fire incident, and gasped. "They have the belt!"

Panic and commotion could be seen on the screen as an Officer Jenny, a Growlithe, and a couple other police officers appeared. It was fruitless, however, as Meowth hopped into view and tossed a smoke bomb. Within the mess, the trio managed to disappear via the sky way windows. _"Don't let them get away! Recover that belt!"_

The audience in the ice cream parlor remained silent and shocked for a moment, surprised that the trio had managed to escape with the belt. Finally, it was Misty who broke the silence. "Come on! We can't let them get away with this! We gotta do something!"

They all ran out of the parlor as Team Rocket's balloon, fitted with jet propulsion, shot on by in the air with the sound of the trio laughing loudly following it. "There they go!" Brock shouted.

"We'll get them!" Ash shouted as he went to grab Pidgeotto's pokeball, but came to a sudden stop as he reailzed something

"Ash, what are you doing?" Misty asked, staring at him. "They'll get away if you don't hurry!"

"I just realized that Pidgeotto is at Prof. Oak's! I traded it out for Pinsir before challenging Sabrina." Ash shook his head in annoyance. He hadn't expected to need the bird Pokemon so soon. "We'll just have to follow after them as best we can and-" He winces slightly, holding a hand to his head. "W- wait, we can't go after them."

"Why not?!" Misty shouded in surprise that the blond would be willing to let something like this happen.

Ash's hand snaked out towards the main section of his bag. Reaching in, he pulled out the green Pokemon egg and case that he's been keeping with him. "The egg is getting ready to hatch. I don't know how, but I can just sense it."

Misty was about to yell, but stopped. "Really? Wait, what about the belt though?"

The young trainer seemed rather conflicted. On one hand, he wanted to stop the trio and recover the belt. On the other, the egg was about ready to hatch, and he wanted to be ready for it when it did. He didn't want to be out there trying to deal with the trio as it hatched in the middle of battle, or ran the risk of it getting hurt.

Brock stared off into the distance, as police cars zoomed passed them. "It looks like they're already long gone by now." He shook his head. "It angers me that they got away with such an expensive item." He turned his head towards Ash's direction. "But at the same time, the breeder in me is glad you chose to put your attention on your egg. That's more important than any golden belt."

"But... what about..." Misty stomped a foot against the ground and sighed. "He's right, the safety of a baby Pokemon is more important."

"I feel like I just failed, though..." Ash mumbled as he held onto his egg as it gave a few small shakes and a pulse. Pikachu gave his cheek a nuzzle in comfort as Brock placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We can't solve every problem caused by those three. Come on, let's get back to the gym before it hatches." He only received a nod in agreement.

* * *

Almost as soon as they arrived back at the Celadon Gym, cracks started to form across the egg's surface, expanding and growing with each passing moment. Ash, understandably, was the most excited about this as he held the object in his hand. Around him was Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and some of the other girls from the gym. Pikachu had leaned forward and gave the egg a sniff.

"Oh dear, I'm not too late to see the little one hatch, am I?" Erika asked with a brief yawn as she walked on in, accompanied by Gloom.

"Not yet, but it's about to." Misty answered.

Ash continued to stare at the egg as pieces chipped off here and there. Excitement rushed through his body, and he could sense what felt like a desire to be born and be free coming from it. A multitude of feelings were mixed in as another piece fell off, followed by another. Eventually, the entire top of the egg was pushed away to reveal a small round top. It wiggled until the lower part with a pair of tiny eyes poked out and looked up directly into Ash's eyes.

"Dew?" The rest of the egg gave way, revealing the Budew in all of its entirety.

" _Budew, the Bud Pokemon._ _Sensitive to changing temperature, the bud is said to bloom when it feels the sun's warm touch."_

"Budew..." Ash couldn't help but laugh as he pulled the baby Pokemon close and gave it a hug. As he did, he was sure he could feel the sense of comfort and warmth that the Budew itself was feeling. He just knew that it felt comfortable with him. "Look, Pikachu, we got another new friend!"

"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu waved to the Budew, smiling in a friendly manner towards it. Budew, for its part, gave a shy smile back, but seemed more comfortable being closer to its trainer.

Misty outright gushed as she got close, causing it to tense slightly. "Ooohhhh, it's so cute. But... it looks a little different than what a Budew normally looks like."

This was true, for the colorization of the of the top of the Budew was a little more yellowish than green, and the area under its face was a purple-pink color instead of the usual green.

"Ah, what a pleasant surprise that is." Erika was well aware of the fact that it wasn't all that strange to see various Pokemon that had different shades in comparison to what they would normally have. Flower-based Pokemon were an example of this, but it was always a treat to see one hatch with a different colorization. "I expect to see you take good care of this little one, Ashley."

Ash could only nod in response as he held onto the newly hatched Pokemon. He wasn't really sure just how he was going to handle this, but he felt that as long as he knew it was healthy and safe, he figured he could manage. Though now he realized he needed to send one of his Pokemon over to Prof. Oak for the moment.

* * *

"So you want to know which Pokemon to send over for a spell?" The professor in question asked as he spoke to Ash on the video phone. He was adequately impressed to see that the egg the young trainer received turned out to be a Budew with an alternate color scheme.

After a bit of thought, the elderly man came to a conclusion. "Well, out of all of your Pokemon, I think Primeape is the one I'd like to interact with the most at this time."

"Primeape, huh?" Ash pulled out the Pokeball of the creature in question and thought about it for a moment. Since he had decided that he would work more on rotating and training his Pokemon, then sending the ape Pokemon on over to Oak's wouldn't be a bad thing. It'd give Primeape some time to bond a bit with Krabby and Pidgeotto; not to mention allow him to stretch out more and relax outside of his ball. "Alright, professor. I'm sending him on over."

"Thank you, Ashley." Oak said with a bright smile as the ball materialized on his side. Taking the ball, he opened it up, releasing Primeape. "Well hello there Primeape. It's good to see you in person. How are- GACK!" A strong right hook from the pig monkey Pokemon sent him flying. "A- A very strong punch you have there."

"Priya-ya!" Primeape danced a bit, flexing his arms as he waved to Ash on screen.

Ash laughed a little at that, rubbing the back of his head. "Primeape, I sent you over to Professor Oak for a little bit. Be nice to him, and try not to get too violent with him, alright?"

Primeape nodded and picked Oak up, wrapping an arm around him and giving his trainer a joyful thumbs up, cheeks blushing some. He definitely didn't want to disappoint Ashley, and would show his trainer that he could handle himself unsupervised. At least, as long as nobody angered him.

"My, he's quite the spirited one, isn't he?" Oak asked, laughing as he patted Primeape on the head, earning a slightly annoyed glare in return as the video feed cut off.

"Maybe I made the wrong choice." Ash muttered to himself, hoping that the professor would be alright for a short while.

"Pika~" Pikachu bobbed his tail up and down before Budew, who wobbled a bit on his feet as he attempted to touch it with his small bud. The newborn Grass Pokemon managed to quickly grow attached to the electric mouse.

A little later, Ash managed to get a Pokeball for Budew. Though after 'catching' the rose bud Pokemon, he figured that it might be best to keep it out of a ball for a few days so it could get better acquainted with him and the world around it. It was, after all, just a newborn.

Holding the infant Pokemon up, he smiled brightly. "So, Budew, I'm Ashley Ketchum." He wasn't sure how to go about this, but he was positive he could handle this kind of responsibility.

"Dew!" A bright smile grew as its bud opened slightly, revealing some black and purple petal colorization between the two parts.

"And this is Pikachu."

"Pi-chu!" The electric mouse waved his tail to the Budew, causing it to laugh.

Misty could only smile at the scene. "Aww, look, it's almost like Ashley is now Budew's mother."

"M- Mother?" Ash asked in obvious embarrassment as he looked at the redhead, and then down to Budew. As he stared at his newest Pokemon, his nervousness at the idea of being considered as such to it ebbed away into nothingness, replaced with a huge grin. "Well then, Budew, it looks like you're going to have the most amazing mother you'll ever know. Ain't that right, Pikachu?" He couldn't believe he just said that.

Pikachu gave him a thumbs up in response.

Budew started to fidget a bit, causing Ash to to blink and look at him. "What's wrong, Budew?" He was silent in thought, his eyes glazing over very briefly, and unnoticed by anybody present. "I think it's hungry. What do I feed a newborn Pokemon?"

As if to answer his question, a few jars of mashed berries were placed in front of him. Each jar had a different colored berry. "The first thing we should do is figure out what taste it prefers the most." Erika motioned for Ash to get to work on helping Budew try each berry flavor.

Nodding at this, the blond scooped a little of each onto his finger and held the finger to Budew. The Pokemon tasted each one and seemed to be alright with most of them. Though a specific one seemed to catch its attention, and it quickly wanted more.

"Huh... it likes that one." Curious about what it would taste like, Ash took a little of the paste onto his finger and tried it. Almost instantly, he felt as if his mouth was on fire. "Spicy!"

Pikachu quickly carried over a large glass of milk, which Ash grabs and chugs down as best he could. After drinking the beverage, he slumps backwards, lips red due to the spiciness. "Just my luck that it likes spicy things."

Eventually, Ash was handed two different bottles by Brock. One of them was full of fresh mineral water, and the other was some blended berry juice. Thanking the Pokemon Breeder in training, Ash held the berry juice out to Budew, who clamped its mouth over the nipple and promptly started to suckle on the contents.

"You really like that, huh?" He asked, a smile present as he fed the newborn Pokemon. "Hey," he laughed, "slow down a little. It's not going to go anywhere."

"I didn't think he'd be able to act this careful." Misty was honestly surprised once again surprised by the hidden depths of the boy that before a little over a week ago was so immature and brash to deal with. "Now I wish I had my own baby Pokemon to take care of."

As soon as she said that, a Pokeball popped open, and Psyduck materialized before her. "Psy-ay!"

"I want a sweet little thing, not an absolute headache." She deadpanned as she recalled the platypus back into the ball.

"So Ashley," Erika gave a small yawn, "I think that tomorrow we should begin work on some more of your training. Flower arrangement, tea ceramony, some archery, and even some proper care of Grass type Pokemon. You have two Grass types, and from what I've seen of your Bulbasaur, it seems quite healthy. However, it's a good thing to understand a little more about them."

"I'm... not sure I want to be around for when he tries to shoot off an arrow." Misty had a clear look of nervousness about her. "For all we know, he might even somehow shoot himself with the bow."

"Hey! I bet I do just fine at it." Ash glared at her. "I mean, how hard can shooting an arrow from a bow be?" After all, you just pulled the string back and let it go.

* * *

Author's Notes: Initially I had planned to have a bit more included in this chapter. However then it already got a bit long and reached a point where it was best to leave off. So there's going to be one more chapter involving Ashley getting situated with things before he finally sets off for Fuchsia. Admittedly, I could also have him go for the Rainbow Badge since he does quite a few Pokemon capable of taking on grass types.

And so Team Rocket managed to snatch a success under their belt for once. Poor Anthony

Initially I had considered sending Bulbasaur to Prof. Oak's, but then realized that since their both Poison/Grass types, Bulbasaur could help out Budew a bit in training. I also considered sending Pinsir, but Prof. Oak had already met Pinsir, so I figured he could use a little time to get to know Primeape.

I'll admit though, that working on rotating each of Ash's Pokemon and giving them good enough screentime might take a bit of work.


	11. The PLIA Is Watching

Celadon's New Blossom

Pulling back on the string of his bow, Ash stared ahead at the target within his sights. Sweat dripped down his chin slightly as he attempted to keep the aim steady and correct. Feeling as if he finally had it, he went to release the arrow. As he did, however, his thumb slipped slightly, causing the projectile to tilt and go off tract. The young blond watched helplessly as the arrow just tumbled as soon as the string was released, hitting the ground and coming to a stop.

Pikachu picked up the arrow and held it up to Ash, but his trainer just let out a sound of frustration and sat back. Rubbing his eyes to try and relax them and chase away the stress, he gave a minute sigh. "Archery is dumb. Standing so still and staring at one small area for too long is so dumb." He didn't have the patience for this kind of thing.

Setting the bow down, he stretched. Erika had started to teach him in Kyudo, the way of the bow. As such, his outfit currently consisted of a keiko-gi – a white, short-sleeved kimono-like top, an obi, dark blue hakama skirt, and finally a pair of tabi socks to cover his feet.

The bow, he found, was larger than he anticipated it would be. He would never have foreseen that he would be using an actual yumi long bow that was as tall as he was. Thankfully, it wasn't really all that heavy, and he didn't have too much trouble with pulling back the string. It was just holding it in place while aiming and not messing up that he had trouble with.

Letting out a small yawn, Ash watched as Budew explored the area of Erika's property. The tiny newborn rose bud Pokemon was rather curious, though would often become shy when coming across another Pokemon in the area, and constantly ran back to him to hide behind his legs. Though it would quickly go back to exploring. Currently Budew sipped a bit of water from the pond, letting out a startled yelp when a koi splashed it. Pikachu quickly ran over to make sure it was okay.

Erika's voice popped up. "You're putting too much emphasis on forcing it, Ashley." She walked on over to the young trainer and handed him mug of tea. "You can take a nice rest for now." She proceeded to sit down next to him and take a sip of her own tea. "As I have told you, one of the main disciplines of learning how to use the bow is to relax your mind and not think too hard on what you are trying to do."

A frown played across Ash's lips as he sipped his beverage. "Yeah, but how do I do that? I mean, just standing there in place and holding a position? You told me that I gotta be able to reach some kind of state where I push away all thoughts and become one with my spirit and the target, but I don't get it." He didn't even think this kind of thing was for him, and trying to figure it out frustrated him.

"I understand how frustrating it can be at first, Ashley." Erika reached out and rested her hand on the back of her pupil's, giving it a small squeeze. "But I am certain you will eventually understand and be able to conquer your issue. You just need to learn to find your center and what relaxes you. Once you do that, it will come easier and easier."

"I suppose." Ash muttered in annoyance. "You've told me how this will help me with Pokemon training and battles, and I do wanna learn it. I'm just not good at doing it. I'll figure it out, though." He definitely wasn't a quitter by any means, especially when it means getting better at dealing with Pokemon. Oh, and he guessed life lessons as well, but he wasn't as interested with that.

"I know you will, Ashley. Though perhaps you can also ask Sabrina to help you with meditation and calming your mind. I'm sure she would have some wonderful tips." Smiling, she proceeded to get to her feet. "Ashley, I had some plans scheduled for today, and I was wondering if you would like to accompany me."

He looked up at her. "Some plans? We're not going to train some more? I was planning on training a little more with my Pokemon as well."

"We can do that later. For now, though, I think it would be nice to spend a bit of time together, as well as allow you to see a few things that a Gym Leader needs to deal with from time to time." She considers, tapping her chin a little. "I suppose you could call it a girls day out of sorts?"

A 'girls day out'? Ash wasn't really a stranger to that term, considering it was used by the other girls at the gym when they took him to the salon to spend some time together. However, he was certain that a salon trip wouldn't be on Erika's mind, and he was curious what other Gym Leaders typically did from time to time. It would be kinda neat.

"Sure, I'd like to join you."

* * *

Ash walked alongside Erika as they made their way down the streets of Celadon. Erika was dressed in one of her more formal kimono. Ash, likewise, was also currently in a kimono of his own and dressed much like the day that the girls at the gym gave him that 'princess makeover'. Granted, after all the stuff that happened since then, it wasn't as unnerving as it had been, and he was able to deal with it without having an outright crisis of feelings. That didn't mean he didn't feel a tiny amount of embarrassment, though.

On his shoulder was Pikachu, comfortable as he typically was in that spot. Also on his person, however, was Budew. The infant Grass Pokemon was carefully snug inside of a makeshift baby carrier pouch that rested right in front of the young trainer's chest, as if Ash were acting as a parent carrying a young child.

Said Budew was looking around in wonder at the sights, retracting shyly whenever someone approached and got close to it, and that was something that happened quite a bit as they made their way through the city. It would relax whenever Ash placed a comforting hand onto its head.

"So where are we going, Erika?" Ash looked up at the woman with a curious look. "And why are we dressed like this?"

"Well, Ashley, I'm actually meeting with someone rather important." At the glance he continued giving her, she continued. "You see, every so often, a Gym Leader has to meet with a Pokemon League Inspection Agency official, mainly to report how things are going with the gym, as well as if they are doing their duties right as a Gym Leader."

"Pokemon League Inspection Agency?"

Erika nods. "It's a branch of the Pokemon League itself, which in turn is a separate branch of the government that oversees everything that involves Pokemon and trainers. Inspectors not only check to see how Gym Leaders and gyms are doing, but also inspect Pokemon Centers, Pokemon Marts, Trainer Schools, and many other institutions in order to see if they are up to proper standards. The Inspector had already visited me a little earlier at the gym while you were working on practicing. She was making sure that the renovation efforts made to the gym were sound."

"Wow..." Ash had to admit that being a PLIA sounded like a big job, and a real important one. "But if you already met with her, then what else do you need to speak with her for?"

They neared a small restaurant with a few umbrella tables sitting outside of it. There weren't that many people at the tables right now. There was a young couple with a Nidoran male and female, and the only other person was what appeared to be a Nurse Joy dressed in casual wear.

"She is interested in meeting with you, Ashley." Erika answered, causing the young trainer to blink in confusion as she walks over to the Joy sitting at the table. "It's a pleasure to meet you again, inspector."

"... Inspector? Her?" Ash asked in surprise as he stared at the pink-haired woman. "She's a Nurse Joy, isn't she?"

The Joy gave a smile to the boy before laughing a bit. "You wouldn't believe just how surprised people tend to get when they first realize that. The Inspection Agency has a handful of us of the Joy family that work for them. This is mainly due to the fact that seeing a Nurse Joy tends to cause people to relax, and allows us to see things at their most candid."

At Ash's slow nod, she stands up and holds out a hand to him. "PLIA Official Willia Joy. A pleasure to meet you, Ashley." She paused, speaking in a quieter voice. "Or should I say Ash?"

The young trainer went to shake the hand, but paused right then and there, blanching in surprise. "Wh- you know about that?" How did they even know?

"Pi?" Pikachu was surprised as well by this. Though the young Budew had fallen asleep at this point.

Willia nods in response. "The Pokemon League received a request from Professor Samuel Oak in regards to a change in identification. To allow one Ash Ketchum to be re-registered as Ashley Ketchum to accommodate for some changes that have occurred recently. Is that correct?" At Ash's slow nod, she continued. "This request was put to an inquiry to figure out why it had occurred. The PLIA discovered that it was due to events centering around the Celadon Gym."

"I- yeah." He felt rather nervous by now.

"What we know is that during the night of the fire that was caused by Team Rocket, you disguised yourself as an Ashley Ketchum before entering the gym. Even after you had been discovered by Erika, you still continued to live as Ashley Ketchum."

Another nod from Ash. He felt really embarrassed now that this was being brought up. A number of people high up knew about this. How did he even look to them? "I- erm, didn't expect Erika to want to help train me so much before I disguised myself?"

The Joy gave Ash a comforting smile as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's perfectly okay, Ash. There is no need to be so embarrassed and nervous, because we of the league understand full well what is going on, and it isn't the first case that we've had to deal with of this variety."

He blinked a bit, feeling confused. Why didn't he need to be embarrassed or nervous? Does she mean that the League has had to deal with trainers being initially forced into something under the guise of a punishment? "You do?"

"Absolutely!" Willia answered. "You are not the first child who has left home on their journey, and discovered that they felt more comfortable dressing and living as the opposite gender. The League gets these occasional requests for identity changes all the time."

Ash just blinked. "... say what?"

"I, of course, had to speak to your fellow gym trainer members in order to investigate further on this subject and see if our assumptions were correct. They, while knowing about your physical state, appear to accept you as one of them, and vouch for the legitimacy of your willingness and desire to explore these budding feelings of yours. You've managed to make quite a lot of friends who appreciate you dearly." She lifts Ash's chin to look directly into his eyes. "I understand that you are still nervous and unsure, but don't let that scare you away, especially with the friends you have that desire to help you."

Ash could only nod numbly, unsure how to process this at all.

"One of the many aspects of a Pokemon journey is to allow trainers to find themselves not only as a Pokemon trainer, but also as a person. A journey of self discovery on the road to maturity, if you will." She gently grabbed Ash by the hand. "The Pokemon League accepts all kinds, and tries its best to not discriminate based on these things. If you have discovered this new you, and wish to live and be registered as a girl, we'll allow it."

"I... wh..." Ash was honestly speechless at this turn of events. This kind of thing happened on occasion? They allowed the re-registration just like that? It was this simple? They thought his initial disguise was because he started to 'discover' himself?! "I... thanks." He felt rather overwhelmed by this, not to mention still embarrassed. He could have told the inspector that she was wrong about his reasons and wasn't doing this to 'discover' himself, but at the same time it provided an excellent excuse to continue what he was doing for training. A small part of his brain was also rather thankful to the girls at the gym, and there was a feeling of warmth building over the fact that they seemed to appreciate him so much.

"It's fine, Ashley Ketchum. There is no need for thanks. You make for a rather lovely young lady, and I couldn't think of bringing myself to stand in the way of your feelings." This just caused the 11-year-old's cheeks to redden even more in embarrassment. "From now on, you'll be registered as Ashley in the trainer registry and rankings. Your battle records will be converted over, and I wish you luck in your attempts to continue climbing up the Top Ten Thousand Kanto Trainer Rankings, young lady."

Willia scritched Pikachu's chin gently. "And you have such a cute Pikachu and Budew as well. I can tell by how healthy they look that you are a good trainer." She turns to Erika and bows. After which, she proceeds to walk away, leaving a somewhat flustered Ash behind.

As soon as she was out of view, Ash collapsed to his knees, looking thoroughly exhausted despite having not done much to cause that. "What... just happened?" he asked, overwhelmed and a bit confused.

"It appears as if being 'Ashley' has just gotten a bit easier." Erika answered, actually looking somewhat befuddled herself. Out of everything she could have expected from this, it wasn't the League itself reaching the conclusion that it did. This did provide a wonderful benefit and cover for her student to continue being seen as Ashley, but...

"I'm Ashley for absolute real now!" Ash whined out.

"Pikapi, chu pika." Pikachu gave his trainer a comforting pat on the head, as if saying 'It'll be alright'.

* * *

After a quick stop to get Ash some ice cream to cheer him up – something that the young trainer realized was becoming a rather strange and worrying habit, – they continued on their way. Pikachu had actually gotten a cone of his own, and Ash held out a specially made tomato berry ice cream out for Budew to enjoy. "I can't believe it ended up like this."

"I'm really sorry that it all ended up coming to this large of an extreme, Ashley." Erika held her hands together under her chin apologetically. "You could have explained the truth to the inspector and managed to get out of it, though."

"Yeah, well... I could have. Though I didn't want you to get in trouble, and I'm still intending to stick to my promise of beating the league, Elite 4, and Champion." He muttered, looking to the side. Though he wasn't sure just how easy it would be to just return to being 'Ash' after that. He actually grew to like Erika, and didn't want to know what would happen if the inspector found out about Erika's initial... method of getting him to become Ashley.

"And besides, maybe some of the people I've met won't remember me, or even think about looking up my rankings." Maybe they'd also just assume that 'Ashley Ketchum' was his sister. Though if 'Ashley' continued climbing the ranks, it would seem like 'Ash' failed. Then again, it didn't matter since it was still him improving, right? Though the bigger question was, as always, Gary.

"Thank you, Ashley." Erika was both relieved and touched that the child next to her was worried about what would have possibly happened to her. She really would have to try to make it up to him sometime.

It was then that a thought occurred to her. "That reminds me, have you taken the time to read up on the Elite 4 in order to know just who you would be up against in the event that you do manage to face them?" Her student had mentioned his interest in trying to learn a bit more of what he could on the subject.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. It was easier than I thought it would be." He just had to log onto the Indigo Pokemon League official web site. The League itself generally kept records of nearly all of the Pokemon Trainers that were registered, though looking for some trainers would be impossible if they managed to dodge registering with the League. "Lorelei, Agatha, Bruno, and Lance. Though Lance seems to also act as the regional champion as well."

"Very good, you're learning how to search out information and prepare yourself for the future." Erika smiled, placing a hand on Ash's head. "This is something that is important if one wishes to work on advancing to becoming a top trainer and be ready for what comes your way. I'm proud of you for taking these steps."

Ash couldn't keep himself from smiling at the praise, feeling as if it was something that he needed at the moment to help him feel a little better. "So where is it that we're going now?" By that point, he, Pikachu, and Budew had finished their ice cream, with Budew falling back asleep.

"Another responsibility of a Gym Leader is to occasionally stop by schools around their city and speak to some of the younger children about some aspects of Pokemon training." Not all kids grew up to become trainers, though Gym Leaders and other influential trainers providing occasional lectures and visits helped to prepare them for later. "The school we'll be stopping at today is Celadon University."

"Celadon University?"

"It's an escalator school that provides education from primary school all the way to university level. Its main focus is on teaching children to become Pokemon trainers, though the children who don't start their journey after finishing primary school are able to stay on and continue their education." She pauses. "Your Professor Oak taught at Celadon University years ago, and was even awarded the rank of Emeritus."

"Emer-wha?"

"Emeritus, Ashley. It's a one of the highest titles and ranks given to a professor of outstanding merit who has accomplished a great deal in their time, and is recognized for having done so."

Ash just blinked, soaking the information in. "Prof. Oak is really that amazing?" He shared a disbelieving look with Pikachu. It was hard to imagine, with how... eccentric the man was every time he saw the guy. He certainly didn't act like someone who was incredibly influential.

It wasn't long before they arrived at Celadon University, and Ash was surprised by how large the place was. He was only used to the very small school building in Pallet, and so seeing a giant place such as this was overwhelming to him.

"This place is amazing."

"Pikaaaaaaa"

After walking through the large campus courtyard, they entered the building and made their way on through the halls. The inside was clean, and their shoes clicked on the tiling as they walked along the path. Eventually, Erika came to a stop at one of the rooms, and Ash took a small peek inside. He saw a nicely sized classroom filled with children who looked to be around six-years-old, and the blond figured that they must have been first-graders.

"-and so this is why in addition to the native language everybody speaks in their home region and country around the world, it was decided that a secondary, unified language would be taught to allow for people to talk to each other and communicate. This is especially helpful for trainers who travel and visit different parts of the world, so that they aren't left lost and confused." It was the tail end of the teacher's speech.

Once the teacher realized that they were standing outside the door, he let them in and introduced them to the class. The kids were, as likely to be expected, impressed to be able to meet their city's Gym Leader. Each of them began lobbing questions to the woman, but soon quieted down thanks to the efforts from the teacher.

Erika giggled at this. "Now now, children, I'm certain that we can get all of your questions answered. As your teacher said, I am Erika of the Celadon Gym." She motions towards her companion to speak.

"Ah, um, I'm Ashley Ketchum. This is my partner Pikachu."

"Pika!" The electric mouse waved, causing some of the kids to belt out about how they haven't seen a Pikachu in person, and were excited.

"And this is Budew. It just hatched from an egg." He motioned to the tiny rose bud Pokemon, which drawled a collective 'awwww' and 'so cute' from a few of the girls.

A boy raised a hand. "So who are you really? You important or something?" He asked Ash in a manner that annoyed the trainer.

"Ashley is my personal student." Erika answered. "I believe she can become an amazing trainer, so I have taken her under my wing and started to train her."

"Wow!"

"Training with a Gym Leader!"

"She's really beautiful"

"I like her name."

Ash found himself blushing at the compliments to his looks and name, which mainly came from a majority of the young girls.

The same boy from earlier scoffed a bit. "She doesn't look all that great. I mean, look at her. She's all dressed up like that and doesn't look tough at all." This caused some of the other kids to mumble and feel he could be right.

"Pika..." Pikachu glared at the kid for the insult to his trainer.

Ash puffed up his cheeks in annoyance. He didn't look strong just because of how he was dressed? He was plenty amazing! He opened his mouth to say something, but was beaten to the punch by Erika.

"Ashley has already managed to obtain four badges." She thinks for a spell before continuing. "However, if that doesn't convince you, then perhaps the two of us can show off our skill in a Pokemon battle?" She looks towards her student. "Well, Ashley, what do you say? Would you like to show these children your skill in a one vs one match with me?"

Ash blinked at Erika. A battle against her? Right now? Well, he was really interested in seeing how well he could do against Erika. It wasn't a gym battle, but he did want to show these kids he wasn't weak. He gave a bright smile. "Sure!"

After a change of scenery, Erika and Ash stared at each other from the opposite ends of a battle field in the campus yard. The class of young students was gathered around the field to watch. Even a few older students that were mulling about stopped to see what was going on.

"Let's show these children the beauty of Grass types, Ashley."

"So you want me to use Bulbasaur?"

"I do, and it would be a good learning moment for your Budew to watch Bulbasaur in action." Erika held up a Pokeball and gave it a toss. From out of the ball popped Weepinbell.

"Bell!" It spun around for a second.

Ash nodded and looked over at Budew, who was sitting next to Pikachu on the sidelines and accompanied by the students. "Watch this, Budew, and maybe you'll get inspired." He smirked before pulling out his Pokeball and summoning Bulbasaur from it. He realized that since both Pokemon were Poison and Grass types, neither really had an advantage over the other.

"Bul!" He stomped a foot against the ground, glad to finally be in another battle.

"Weepinbell, let's start this off with your Razor Leaf." Erika held out a hand, seemingly sparkling within the light.

Weepinbell held up its leaf arms and gained some momentum before spinning around rapidly, launching a volley of super fast spinning leaves.

"Quick, Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip to knock them away, then counter with sleep powder!"

"Bul!" Vines shot out from the Seed Pokemon and intercepted the leaves, slapping them aside in quick succession before a cloud of green powder exploded out from the bulb on its back, shooting at his opponent.

As the spores careened towards the Flycatcher Pokemon, Erika commanded it to spin even quicker. As it did, it managed to whip up a swirling wind that caused the spores to disperse into the air once it hit the vortex. "Now, use your own vines to grab onto Bulbasaur and pull it close!" Weepinbell stopped spinning and lashed out with its vines.

Bulbasaur, for his part, attempted to dodge in and out of the vines as they whipped at him, watching each one as they came. Ash knew that he couldn't keep this up for long, and so he had to think of something. As one of the vines zoomed to the side of his Pokemon, he realized what that something was. It was dumb, but it just might work.

"Bulbasaur, that vine! Grab it and pull Weepinbell in close!"

Bulbasaur, obliging, chomped down hard on the vine, causing his opponent to let out a shout of surprise. With one good yank, he pulled his fellow Grass type towards him.

"Now tackle it as it is flying towards you!"

Stomping its back foot and bending at his knees for momentum, Bulbasaur launched directly at Weepinbell, hitting it head on as it rushed towards him.

After being hit, it went flying backwards and landing on the ground, skidding to a halt where it got up and shook the cobwebs from its mind.

"I'm impressed, Ashley. That was some quick thinking and strategy on your part." Erika praised. "To pull Weepinbell in close and use the momentum of it coming to land a hit for more damage."

"Thanks Erika!" Ash responded, feeling incredibly elated. He was having a lot of fun right now, and was happy to have been able to impress her with what he thought was just a random occurrence that just worked.

"Pikapi, chu, pikapi, chu!" Pikachu shouted on the sidelines, waving a pair of miniature flags as he cheered for Ash. Budew, meanwhile, watched with a look of amazement. It looked at Pikachu for a moment before standing up and cheering along with him.

"Ashley really is good!" One of the younger kids shouted amongst the murmur of voices.

"She's not bad." The boy from earlier muttered, not wanting to admit he was more wrong than he needed.

"And she really is cute." A girl piped up.

"I like her hair."

"That Kimono is cute."

"I love her nails."

"Look at those earrings!"

"And she's really kick butt and brave!"

Ash blush as he rubbed the back of his neck, laughing with a little embarrassment. He was getting a lot of praise, though most of it was about his look. Still, praise was praise, and he honestly liked that they were talking about him and looking up to him; even if it was as a girl and dressed how he was.

"My my, someone is getting some fans it seems." Erika wagged a finger. "But don't think that this is over just yet, Ashley." She motioned over to Weepinbell, and then looked towards the children. "Kids, this is an integral part of each Pokemon species. Each Pokemon possesses a special unique ability. In Weepinbell's case, it has Chlorophyll, which allows its speed to increase in direct sunlight. What do you see above our heads right now, children?"

"Sunlight!" They all shouted.

"That's right. Now, Weepinbell, get in close and use Slam!"

"Bell!" It was definitely fast, and was on Bulbasaur in no time, lashing out with a heavy hit via its leaf arm that sent Bulbasaur skidding towards Ash.

"Bulbasaur!" Ash yelled in surprise, not having expected the Flycatcher Pokemon to be so quick. "Catch it with a Vine Whip!"

Bulbasaur, standing back onto his feet, lashed out with his vines. However, as a repeat from earlier but in reverse, Weepinbell easily dodged in and out of them, with much better ease and speed.

Ash growled to himself as he tried to figure out a way to counter this. If it was this fast, and now on the move, then hitting it would be a lot harder. 'Think, think... how do I deal with this?'

"If you allow yourself to panic, Ashley, you'll lose sight of your goal." Erika interrupted his thoughts. "Like I told you during Kyudo practice, you must allow yourself to be calm and not worry about the target in front of you. Can you do that and figure out how to deal with this problem?"

'This is a test?' Ash frowned at that and took in a deep breath, calming down. 'That's right... letting myself get impatient won't help a thing. I need observe what's going on. The Sun is making- the Sun!' Looking up into the sky, Ash realized the key to this whole problem. "Bulbasaur! Let loose your sleep powder into the air above you!"

Doing as he was told, the Pokemon's bulb spewed out the dust into the air, which covered the area above them like a cloud, and obscuring some of the sunlight from reaching the field.

"B- Bell!" Weepinbell, due to the sudden change in speed, fell face first onto ground, which left it wide open to be grabbed by Bulbasaur's vines and lifted up and into the cloud of sleep powder. It struggled and flailed before falling fast asleep asleep.

"Now slam it!"

Bulbasaur did just that, and slammed his opponent directly into the ground, where it laid there unconscious.

"Weepinbell is unable to battle!" The teacher from earlier, who acted as a referee for the match, raised his arm. "Ashley is the winner!"

"I did it!" Ash hoped up and down as best he could while in a kimono, and proceeded to grab Bulbasaur in a hug. "You did great, Bulbasaur!"

"Bulba." It grinned at the praise.

Pikachu ran up to congratulate him, while Budew waddled over and looked at Bulbasaur in amazement, and then back to Ashley. It was then picked up by its trainer, who it nuzzled into.

A few of the kids ran over and crowded around Ash, clamoring for his attention.

"You're amazing!"

"I wanna be a trainer like you when I turn 10!" A girl said, punching the air. "Be all kinds of kick butt!"

A girl with messy, scraggly hair and thick glasses tugged on Ash's Kimono. "Um... do you think I could be as cute as you when I get older?"

Ash blinked and knelt down before her. "I don't see why you couldn't. Besides, you're cute already." He smirks and gives her hair a ruffle. "Your glasses are neat."

Erika recalled her Weepinbell and walked over, unable to keep a smile from being present on her features. 'She's definitely gaining some admirers.' Maybe her student didn't think much of it at the moment, but influencing a bunch of young kids was just one step to realizing that dream of his.

"You're going to have to defeat me someday if you want to become the best." Ash reached out and ruffled the hair of one of the boys, who blushed in embarrassment at the attention. "Until then, do your best to learn about Pokemon and training, alright?"

The day started out rather lackluster, but by now, things definitely seemed to be looking up, and he was feeling a lot more confident. Whatever came next definitely wasn't going to get him down.

* * *

"Shopping trip?" Ash asked incredulously as he looked up at Erika. After they had finished with the visit to Celadon University, they made a stop at a restaurant and had a much needed meal where they conversed about various subjects and generally got to know a little more about each other. It was afterward that Erika had dropped the idea of doing some shopping.

The woman nodded. "I felt that it would be a good activity for a little bonding. In part to help help you out a little with obtaining some more clothing. While you do have quite a few outfits thanks to your mother, they aren't cloths that you obtained yourself. It's a bit more enjoyable to appreciate clothing that you were around to acquire from shopping instead of just getting hand-me-downs."

"Hand-me-downs are the worst!" They turned around to see Misty, who had somehow snuck up behind them as they walked. "I have three older sisters, so I understand the problem with that."

"Pikachu-Pi!" Pikachu waved excitedly to Misty, who waved back.

"And what's this I hear about a shopping trip?" She got that mischievous look in her eye as she stared at Ash.

Recognizing said look, the blond tried to wave her away. "Nothing; you heard nothing." He soon found the girl's arm resting on his shoulder.

"Oh c'mon Ashley! Remember how we agreed the other day that we were going to go on a shopping trip sometime? I mean, of course I've been visiting the shops, but we never got the chance to do it together."

"What we? I never agreed to that. Erika, tell her that this is just a thing between me and you." Ash whined, looking at the Grass leader for assistance.

Erika appeared to consider this. "It's never a good thing to leave a friend behind, Ashley. Think of it as a chance to allow the both of you to bond some more as well."

"Erikaaaaaaa!"

* * *

"You're having fun, aren't you, Ashley?" Misty asked in amusement as she watched the blond examine himself in the mirror.

Ash decided to dodge the question. "I don't have to answer that." He gave another turn as he looked himself over. His outfit consisted of a white shirt that left the shoulders bare, with the sleeves ending just at his elbows. Over this was a pair of light blue overalls that ended as a pair of shorts. On the front of the overalls was the image of a Luvdisc, and similar imagery was visible on the shorts. Attached to the right shoulder strap was a pink bow.

His legs were covered by a pair of pink and white striped stockings, with a pair of blue and white boots upon his feet. On top of his head was a pink puffy hat that had a light blue belt stripe and black buckle. Attached to the hat was a dark purple flower accessory.

All in all, it was girly, but at the same time boyish, causing him to look like a cute tomboy. He... actually liked it, though it made him realize that even if he wore something boyish, he'd only come off as just that... a tomboy. Still, he was rather fond of it, and liked that it was something a little less feminine.

"You're right. You DON'T have to answer." Misty knew that she was definitely having fun herself. Even if her friend was reluctant and embarrassed, he wasn't as stubborn and difficult about doing this that she had initially figured he would be. Sure, he tried to deny having fun, but it was really easy to see through.

"Okay, alright, so maybe I am having a LITTLE fun, but only when it's normal clothing." He motioned towards the one he currently wore, and to a few others that had been picked out. Some of them were other outfits that were a bit boyish in appearance, though there were some simple dresses mixed in. "But not when it's something really silly and ridiculous."

Erika tilted her head, yawning slightly. "I thought you looked rather lovely in the evening dress."

Pikachu nodded along with Budew

"When would I even NEED something like that?"

"Just to wear when you want to look fancy?"At Ash's flustered look, she laughed. "Oh calm down, Ashley, you know that this is all just in good fun, right?"

After a moment of silence, Ash gave a sigh and nodded. "I do realize that." It was just something that he still had trouble with whenever it was specifically brought to his attention, not to mention the confrontation earlier with the League official and actually being registered as a girl weighing slightly on his mind. Shaking his head to push the thoughts away, he crossed his arms. He was not letting this day turn around to be a horrible one. "Fine, but I want to pick out some more stuff myself." A smirk spread across his lips. "And since you picked out some stuff for me, Misty, I think it's time I find something for you to try on."

Misty blanched, feeling as if the tables were turning on her. "No way, Ashley. You do not want to try and go there! You'll so regret it if you even try to put me into something silly!" She tried to back away, but the blond grabbed onto her hand and pulled her close.

"C'mon Misty. As you said, this is all in good fun, right? Isn't it unfair that you get to dress me up, but you don't get any of the same?" That smirk was even wider now, causing Misty some obvious dread as to what was potentially to come.

"Perhaps Misty would look lovely in a ballerina outfit?" Erika asked innocently. There was no reason why she should be kept out of the fun. Even she had her own... sense of humor at times. "I believe that one she managed to stuff you into is still here."

"Nononono!" Misty waved her arms in panic. Someone have mercy upon her sweet and innocent soul and help her.

"Psy-ay." Psyduck was sporting a rather spiffy top hat and monocle that he somehow managed to find.

Nope, she was doomed.

* * *

Hisae bowed as Erika and Ash returned home. "Welcome home, Miss Erika, Miss Ashley."

"Thank you, Hisae." Erika smiled as she sat down. "Could you please bring us some tea?"

Ash flopped down onto the sofa, Pikachu hopping up onto the back of it, and Budew held within the blond's arms. He was exhausted from the shopping, if the various bags of clothing were of any indication. Not only had they gone to the iconic department store that Celadon was known for, but they had also stopped at a few more places in the shopping district. He really wasn't sure why he needed so many kinds of clothing, but he was certain he'd never need to buy anything else again.

"So all in all, how would you rate the day we had together, Ashley?"

"... exhausting." He answered, sitting up. "Though I guess I kind of had a lot of fun, especially at the university. Getting back at Misty was really satisfying as well!" He SO had material to tease the redhead with for a good while. If she brought up her bike any time soon, he'd casually mention how nice she looked in the ballerina and maid outfits. He even took some photos with his phone.

"I'm glad you were able to have some fun." Erika accepted the mug of tea from Hisae and gave a sip, sighing. "So nice to relax after a long day." She glanced at Ash. "Though you look like you would definitely be too exhausted to get some more training in for the night."

At the mention of more training, Ash was on his feet in an instant. "Exhausted? Who said that? I'm full of energy and pep!"

"Well then, tonight we can get back to your Kyudo training. I'm feeling positive that you can make some amount of breakthrough tonight. Tomorrow you can work on training your own Pokemon, in order to get a better hand on their strengths, weaknesses, attacks, and abilities."

Ash nodded in response. He was ready to actually work with his Pokemon and train them. There was no way he was going to end up being behind the others any more. "You ready to get down to some training, Pikachu?"

"Chu-pika!" His companion nodded, clenching his tiny fists with a determined look on his face. Budew attempted to mimic this.

"We should also also get to work on your flower arranging and tea ceremony training." That caused the blond to deflate a little. "I would also like you to get in touch with Sabrina and have her help you out with meditative exercises. I'm sure she would know of a few that could help you." She holds up a finger. "Oh, yes, also, I know that one of the girls that attends the gym can help you learn to cook. She works at one of the nearby restaurants."

"Why do I need to learn to cook?"

"For in case you are traveling by yourself. You have mentioned that Brock cooks meals for your group. What if he isn't around? What will you eat? Also, don't you think that it would be a good idea to be able to help him once in a while? Learning to cook is an important life skill that more people should learn."

"Can you cook?"

Erika blinks. "Erm, well, I know some basics." She tapped her fingers together, looking to the side with some clear discomfort. "However, I'm not someone who frequently intends to be on the road. You are definitely in need of some more survival skills to help you."

"... I guess you're right."

"We'll work on this routine for the next few days. After which, you can head off to get your fifth badge. After your fifth badge, we can have our rematch for your sixth."

"Where should I go to get my next badge?"

Erika hums to herself as she sips her tea. There were quite a few potential gyms around that the young trainer could go after and challenge, but which one should he go for. After running the gyms that she knew of through her mind, she came to her conclusion. "I think that the Fuchsia Gym would be a good option."

"Fuchsia Gym?"

"It's a gym located on the outskirts of Fuchsia City, and doubles as a ninja training ground for the Gym Leader Koga and his family." If Ash could manage to work his magic on Koga, then maybe it could turn into a good learning experience. The man was hard to impress, but considering that her student had managed to help Sabrina turn around, who knew?

Ash perked up at the mention of ninja. "Really? The Gym Leader is a ninja? That's amazing! I wanna go there and see for myself!" He had always been interested in seeing an actual ninja, and now it was his chance.

"Well then, it looks like after these few days of training, your next destination has been decided. Now, let's go work on some more Kyudo lessons."

"Sure!"

* * *

Author's Notes: I'm aware that in the English dub, Lorelei's name was changed to Prima in order to match the mouth flaps. However, I'm honestly not fond of the name. It may be silly of me, but I'll be calling her Lorelei.

In regards to the whole secondary unified language thing. It potentially does help explain how the anime doesn't really have any issue with language. I can see each region/country having its own laguage, but also speaking a secondary 'worldwide' language as well.

As for the Pokemon League Inspection Agency and its inspection of the safety of various gyms, one can only imagine just how much dodging Blaine probably did in order to keep his friggin volcano gym operational. That place sure isn't PLIA friendly.

Finally, the next chapter will have Ash making his way to Fuchsia!


	12. Bridging the Way to Ninjitsu

Celadon's New Blossom

Ash put the finishing touches on fixing his hat as he stood waiting near the outskirts of Celadon City. The outfit he currently wore was the Luvdisc-themed overalls outfit that he had bought about a week ago thanks to Misty. Even though it was clearly designed for a girl to wear thanks to the coloring and style, he had to admit that he liked it. This was mainly due to the fact that the outfit had a bit of a boyish appearance to it, even if it did leave him looking as if he were a tomboy.

Over the past week, he had been hard at work dealing with the various facets involved with his new life as 'Ashley'. By now, he actually had a better grasp on his kyudo lessons, and could shoot an arrow most of the time without too much of a hassle. There were still times where he lost control while trying to put the arrow in place, but that was something slowly being dealt with. He was also getting steadier and more accurate, though it was clear he still had a ways to go before it became more natural.

Tea Ceremony and Flower Arrangement were two things that slowly brought him closer and closer to learning way more about tea and plants, as well as the art therein, than he thought he would ever thought he would. He had to admit that after getting into them, both activities were rather relaxing, and it also boosted his ego and pride whenever he managed to do a successful arrangement or preparation of tea and obtained praise for it.

When he wasn't working on any of this, or working at the perfume shop or helping out at the gym, he put some of his other time into working on actually training his Pokemon and getting a little more understanding of their capabilities and what they could do. It even provided a great opportunity to get to know Krabby and spend some time with it. It also became apparent to him that Primeape and Pinsir had managed to form a bit of a rivalry in the short time they knew each other.

"Dew!" Budew let out, ducking down into his traveling bag, right before poking back out as if it were playing peek-a-boo with Pikachu, who stood on the ground waving his tail at the young plant Pokemon. Budew expressed some interest in learning how to battle after watching various training sessions. However, still being rather young, it couldn't really do much at the moment but absorb energy and release stun and sleep spores. It could also unleash a pollen that caused others to sneeze with a runny nose.

The small plant Pokemon proceeded to do it once more, this time facing Ash, who couldn't help but laugh a little. He had decided to let Budew rest in his bag during the trip to Fuchsia so that it could get its first look at more of the world around it. "Looks like you're really energetic today, huh?"

"Ash!" The trainer turned around upon hearing the familiar voice of Misty, and saw both her and Brock towards his direction. "Oh! You're wearing that one outfit from the other day."

Brock tilted his head as he observed his younger friend. "It looks good on you, but all of this Ashley business is causing me to forget you were ever a boy." His ability to spot these kind of things was still muted whenever it came to the blond. It also didn't help that as far as everyone was concerned thanks to the League, Ash was now fully registered as a girl.

"... you're not going to end up hitting on me eventually, are you?" Ash asked, looking visibly weirded out at the very notion of something like that ever happening.

"Absolutely not!" Brock waved his hands while shaking his head quickly. "You two know I don't go after every single woman I spot!"

Misty placed a hand before her mouth, looking amused. "Just every single girl who is mature. What if Ash ended up- ow! Hey!" She grimaced as Brock placed his fist on her head and gave her a rather firm noogie. "Okay, okay! You have preferences!"

"Can we stop talking about Brock's preferences?" Ash asked dryly with what was clearly a sign of hope.

"Gladly." Brock nodded quickly.

Misty rubbed the top of her head in annoyance. "Sounds fine to me." She noticed Budew poking its head out from the bag and was over to it in an instant, squatting and fawning over it. "Awww, so you're letting Budew ride in your bag? That's so cute!"

"Dew..." It squirmed slightly, no longer outright nervous around Brock or Misty, but still shy when dealing with most others besides its trainer and Pikachu. It managed to give a tiny smile.

"You're doing a great job raising it, Ash." Brock gave it a quick glance over. "Very energetic and healthy. I was worried you wouldn't be able to take care of it."

"So was I!" Misty let out. "I had a lot of visions of him fumbling about trying to deal with it."

Ash sagged in defeat, getting pouty. "Couldn't you have at least had a little more confidence?" Pikachu hopped up onto his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek to cheer him up. "Well whatever. Thanks for agreeing to go to Fuchsia with me." Having Brock and Misty there with him in case he got into some trouble and needed help would be nice. He didn't want a repeat of Saffron in any way.

"Are you kidding?" Misty asked, standing back up. "I was getting the itch to do a little traveling again. There's still so much of Celadon to explore, but getting back to nature will be nice again!" At least, as long as they don't end up hopelessly lost as usual.

"Same" Brock nodded. During the past week, he actually helped out at the Pokemon Center... when he wasn't trying to flirt with Nurse Joy or the other women who visited. Helping out was actually good practice for learning more tricks that would be helpful as a breeder. Though if Ash is going to be spending a bunch of his time in Celadon, then perhaps it'd give him a wonderful opportunity to go back and learn from Suzy.

Misty took a moment to think about their destination. "What was it that the Fuchsia Gym specializes in? And how are we getting there?"

"Erika told me the gym was a Poison Type gym, and also ninja themed!" The wide, childish grin he displayed only caused his friends to stare at each other, wondering just how much trouble would come from it. "And Erika told me that the fastest way to get there would be going left of Celadon." He pointed in the direction. "Other than that, we can go south but need to cut through some mountains. The longest path would be cutting through Saffron and either going south to Vermillion or further east to Lavender, then following the path from there."

The last option sounded like it would take forever, and Misty really wasn't interested in getting hopelessly lost any time soon. "Why would going west be the faster route instead of going south since it seems more direct?"

Ash coughed into his fist at the question. "The path is just... um... it has less obstructions in the way!" It was clear he was trying to dodge the answer. "So we just need to go that way!"

Brock became lost in thought as he worked on trying to figure out their destination. After a moment, it finally dawned on him. "I got it! Going that way will get us to the Cycling Road that connects near here and Fuchsia!"

The answer caused Ash to sweat, realizing what was coming.

"Oh yes, that's right. The Cycling Road!" Misty crossed her arms. The structure provided rental bikes to those who didn't have access to their own bike. However, this also brought forth another subject. "I wouldn't have to worry about renting a bike if someone hadn't-"

"Tutu!" Ash spouted out quickly, causing Misty to halt in her speech and blush with some embarrassment.

Brock was ready for the two to go at it for the umpteenth time, but was caught by surprise when that one word caused Misty to go silent. "What's this about a tutu?" He asked, not wanting to be left out.

Misty waved her hands. "Nothing at all, Brock! Don't worry about it!"

"Oh, that's right!" Ash was next to Brock in an instant. "You weren't there when me and Misty went shopping the other day, right?" He pulled out his phone and quickly brought up a picture despite Misty's objections. "Misty was stuffing me into all kinds of embarrassing stuff, so I managed to get her to agree to wearing some things in return!"

The picture Brock saw was an embarrassed Misty standing in a maid outfit and looking to the side. The blond had clearly snapped it at the perfect moment. He had to admit that it was kind of amusing to see the girl in such a state. The hairs on the back of his neck bristled, however, causing his head to turn. "A- Ash?"

"You should see her in the ballerina outfit, though!" Ash was clearly too engrossed in showing the older boy the images that he missed the worried tone.

"Ash, you might want to put that away." Brock added with more urgency.

"Huh? Why Brock?"

"ASHLEY KETCHUM!" Misty's shout, as well as use of the name 'Ashley', broke the boy in question out of his fun, causing him to slowly turn his head to see a rather furious Misty, seemingly almost glowing. "Give me that phone, now!"

"You can't have it!" Ash yelled as he took off running, with Misty close on his heels as Pikachu struggled to keep hold of his trainer's shoulder. Budew had quickly ducked into the bag for safety. This left Brock standing behind in the dust, scratching his cheek as he watched them run off. Only one thought crossed his mind.

"I wanted to see the ballerina picture..."

* * *

The trip to Cycling Road took less time than it initially would have thanks to the group having ran a good chunk of the way there. By that time, they were clearly exhausted, and collapsed near the wall of the structure while trying to regain their breath.

"I- huff- don't care about the phone any more." Misty panted, having plopped down onto her butt to give her legs a rest. "You just better delete those images and not show anybody else."

Ash waved his hand, resting his head against the wall as he sat next to her, Pikachu working on trying to fan the both of them with a towel. "I'll get rid of them after you get a bike again." Thanks to his job at the perfume shop, he was on his way to earning enough to do just that. "Jeez... you know I'm working on that, so why can't you lay off on mentioning the bike?"

"Old habits... and maybe teasing you is just so much fun?" Misty managed to reach over and poke the blond on the cheek while smirking.

"Oh come ooooooon." Ash whined childishly in annoyance, blushing. "It's only fun for you. I'm the one working my butt off here. You'll get your stupid bike eventually, and then you can stop whining at me about it."

"I do NOT whine." Misty shot back with indignation, but her features softened after a moment. "... and you're right. You are trying to pay me back." She never even expected the boy to ever do that, and resigned herself to just constantly reminding him occasionally just to see his reaction. It was petty of her, she realized. Reaching, she placed her arm around her friend's shoulder. "Thanks, Ash..."

"Hey, what's gotten into you?" Ash asked in embarrassment, feeling that this was a weird turn in how Misty would normally act.

"What, can't I just thank a friend for them going to so much trouble?" Misty asked with a huff. Her lips then turned into a smirk. "No need to be so nervous, girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? Hey!"

"What? As far as everything goes, you're now a girl." She was clearly having some amusement with this. "And we even went shopping together. It's nice to have another girl friend to talk to." She laughed as she dodged a grab from Ash, hopping back to her feet. "Feeling a little touchy there, girlfriend?"

Blushing and growling in embarrassment, Ash got back to his feet and chased a laughing Misty around the area. "Get back here!"

"... those two have way too much energy." Brock muttered as he rested to regain his own breath. Pikachu worked on fanning him next.

Eventually, the trio stood before the entrance to the Cycling Road. The entrance consisted of a small building like structure that acted as a double arch. The side of the roof had the name 'Cycling Road' on it, and to the side was a garage entryway. If one were to look into the grage, they would see a series of panels along the floor, and a simple computer console with a few buttons.

One thing was missing, though, which Ash decided to point out. "Hey, where are the bikes?"

Brock was about to explain when a video screen activated, showing a pre-recorded message of a lovely young woman, as if it were voice activated to reply to such questions. "Allow me to answer.. The bikes owned by the Cycling Road that are rented out are kept in a small storage facility close by. In order to obtain a bike, you need to use this computer to teleport one of them onto the pads on the floor. When you're done with a bike on the other side, you stick it back on the teleporter and send it back to the storage facility."

Hearts popped into Brock's eyes. "Just who is that amazing beauty?" It was a shame he could only see her as a video image. "She's got to be even more lovely in real life!"

"Or maybe she's all wrinkly and old now." Ash blurted out, since there was no way to know how long ago this was made. "With saggy skin and long bony fingers." He wiggled his fingers for emphasis.

Brock shivered all of a sudden and slumped, no longer feeling invested in in his latest 'crush'. "Thanks a lot for driving a knife through a young man's dreams, Ash!" He let out, tears streaming down his cheeks.

'He'll get over it in a few minutes.' Ash thought as he activated the computer console and teleported a bike in. Much to his dismay, the bike that materialized in was pink... with a little basket in front. "Just my luck..." He muttered, rolling the bike out of the garage. He could have traded it for another bike, but despite his annoyance, he kind of found himself growing accustomed to the color by this point. He didn't LOVE the color, but he could deal with it.

On the bright side, the basket meant that there was a spot for both Pikachu and Budew, allowing them a good seat for the trip. The latter of the two looked around in clear awe from its spot in the basket.

"Hey Ash," Brock walked up next to him with his own choice of bike. "Have you been watching the broadcast of this year's Indigo Plateau Conference?"

The blond nodded quickly. As Gary had informed him a few days prior, the tournament for the Indigo League began a couple days prior, and the event was currently being televised over the next few days as it showed several preliminary rounds. Reporters also spoke with various trainers, with many of them being considered top contenders or returning participants.

"Some of the matches are really amazing." He answered. There were many points while watching a match where he was glued to his seat and expecting someone to have a certain victory, only for it to turn completely around in the end. "But I bet I'll be able to defeat them all by this time next year!"

"Looks like somebody still needs to learn modesty from Erika." Misty smirked as she walked up to the Cycling Road arch.

"Shush!" Ash answered with a blush. He could be plenty modest. It was just that not being around Erika or the other girls at the gym, and being around his friends at the moment, allowed him to feel a bit more relaxed and dwell less on such things. "Let's get a move on!" He wanted to get his next badge as quickly as possible.

As they made their way along the bike path, the land eventually gave way to water. The bridge they were riding along was positioned between the sea and the entry way to what would lead to the Vermillion Harbor. If one were to look, they would see various aquatic Pokemon and animals breaching the water below. Up above in the air, seabirds – which included Wingull and Pelliper – glided about while occasionally diving into the water.

"The sea air feels so nice!" Misty shouted with clear glee. Being a Water Pokemon trainer, it was only natural for her to be so fond of a scenario like this. Being able to catch a glimpse of all the Pokemon in the water was nice as well.

"It's alright." Ash answered as his nose twitched. Due to working around so much perfume, he was a lot more sensitive to smells now than he was previously. The sea air was fine, but as they continued on, he was forced come to a quick stop as he held his nose. "Urgh... what's that smell?!"

"Pika?" Pikachu looked up at his trainer in curiosity.

His friends stopped, and Brock was the first to answer. "What? I don't smell anything other than the sea."

Ash looked around, turning his head towards the left. As he did, he caught sight of what was possibly causing his discomfort. "It's that place!" He shouted, pointing towards what appeared to be a close by factory town that was pouring out lots of dark smoke. The water around it was actually divided from the rest by netting to prevent too much grime from getting to the rest of the water.

"I can't believe a place like that is even allowed to operate..." Misty pulled out her map guide and glanced it over. "It looks like it's called Gringy City. It used to be populated, but they built more and more factories, causing people to leave. The place has been receiving a lot of sanctions lately from the government for all of the pollution it keeps putting out."

Due to Ash's insistence that they get away from the smell that was bothering him, the trio proceeded to continue on their way along the path. It was smooth sailing from there, until they got to around halfway across the bridge and came across a bit of a road block that came in the way of a group of bikers that seemed content in making a barrier with their bikes.

"Hey guys, look!" One of the bikers adjusted his jacket and stood up. "Looks like we finally got ourselves some visitors trying to pass."

Another laughed. "Hopefully they have the money to pay the toll! The guy probably does, and the redhead might. Though looking at little blondie here, I wouldn't be too sure."

Ash glared. "Whaddaya mean by that?!" Pikachu shared the glare, and Budew attempted to mimic the look.

"What toll? There shouldn't even be one." Brock added.

The biker ignored Ash's outburst. "Shows how much you know. We're in charge of this bridge, and so we put up a toll. If you can't pay it, then you'll just have to turn around." He rubbed his fingers together, signifying money.

"We aren't paying you anything."

"Misty's right!" Ash nodded as he attempted to ride through the bikers. Their outright dismissal of him gave him no desire to even deal with them. "We're going to Fuchsia and you can't stop us." As he attempted to do so, a few other bikers surrounded him, with one grabbing his shoulder.

The bald one holding onto his shoulder smirked, wagging a finger. "You shouldn't be disrespecting your elders, little girl. That's not how the REAL world works, so maybe you should go back home and continue playing dress up?"

"Tangling with trainers like us isn't a smart move for a cute little thing like you. You might get your hair messed up, a scratch on your soft and smooth skin, or even chip those cute little pink nails of yours." Another biker grabbed Ash's hat off his head and ruffled his hair.

"That's it!" The blond yelled out as he punched the guy, grabbing his hat and putting it back on his head. "Pikachu, thunderbolt!"

Pikachu, incredibly happy to oblige at the moment, hopped into the air and let loose his electric attack, which caught all of the biker's surrounding Ash. They yelled out in surprise, and quickly collapsed as soon as the attack ended.

"Ashley!" Misty hissed, grabbing onto his arm. "Are you sure that was a good idea? They're going to get angry!"

"We could have tried talking to them some more." Brock added.

Ash scratched his cheek, realizing his mistake only a bit too late. "I... uh... just wasn't thinking?" Hooboy did he hope that Erika never got wind of this little incident.

The bikers, after twitching for a few, got back to their feet and surrounded the trio. They were looking rather angry as they started to pull out their Pokeballs, but a voice caused them to stop in their tracks.

"What do you all think you're doing?" It came from a small little structure to the side of the bridge that acted as a rest point. The owner of the voice stepped out, revealing them to be a young woman with dark purple hair. The left side was shaved short while the right side was long and draped over one of her equally purple eyes. Her leather jacket rested over a red halter top, and her legs were covered by a pair of hastily made jean shorts. Knee length black boots encased her feet. "Getting this rowdy over some kids?"

Brock was next to her in an instant. "A voice of reason! Someone of your beauty would definitely understand what's going on! What's your name? Can I have your number?"

"Winda" It was all she said as she pushed Brock to the side and walked up to Ash, getting face to face with him. "From the sound of things, you're quite the tough little cookie for someone who looks, and even smells, like a pampered little princess."

"Chu..." Pikachu glared up at the woman, sparks tingling in his cheeks. Budew, meanwhile, attempted to hide behind him, feeling as if the lady was a bit scary.

"Nice Pikachu. It looks strong, but just how much of a battler are you, Princess?"

Ash wondered in annoyance just what it was with people calling him 'Princess'. He could at least understand the girls back at Celadon, but it seemed incredibly eerie when someone he never met before decided to insult him by calling him Princess just like that. "Tch, I'm an awesome battler." He answered, pushing the thought out of his mind. "I've got four gym badges, and my name is Ashley Ketchum, not Princess."

"Four badges, eh?" She looks back at her fellow bikers. "You punks hear that? The little Princess has some experience. What's that they say about not judging a book?"

A unanimous cry of 'yes boss' was heard from the group, and Winda turned her attention back to the young blond. "So, miss 'I have four gym badges', how about you and I have a little battle? You win, and your group can pass without issue."

"That sounds good to me!" Ash answered quickly before Misty or Brock could stop him.

"But if you lose," Winda continued, "I get to take your precious little Budew there." She pointed at the Budew hiding behind Pikachu.

This caused the boy to instantly pause. "What? No way! You aren't getting Budew! Why do you even want him?"

"Pika!" The electric mouse shared the same glare as his trainer.

"No real reason. I just think it's a fair trade." Winda didn't want to acknowledge it was because she thought Budew was adorable, especially not in front of her group. "But if you're too afraid of losing to me, Princess, then I understand."

Ash froze, finding himself in a rather huge quandary. On one hand, he did NOT want to stake Budew on anything. On the other, he was just accused of being a coward if he didn't agree to the terms. His pride was being put on the line!

"Don't risk Budew, Ashley." Brock frowned, before skipping over to Winda. "I'll be brave and put myself on the line~" He was quickly pushed backwards by the woman.

Misty looked directly at her friend, realizing how he was when his pride was challenged. "You wouldn't do such a thing, would you?"

"I..." Ash stared down at Budew as the little Grass Pokemon stared back up at him. He could tell that the little guy didn't fully understand the situation and what was happening, but he could sense the worry. Even if he won, he would have still been a pigheaded fool to agree to such a thing. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath before looking up at Winda. He made his decision. "No." Not only would he be disappointed in himself IF he lost, but he could just see Erika's disappointment when she found out, whether he won or not.

Both Misty and Brock were surprised by the answer, but relieved to know that he didn't let his pride get to him just this once.

"So you admit to thinking you'll lose to me, huh? And here I was thinking you were a tough cookie, but it seems you're just a soggy banana." Winda shrugged her shoulders. "Call me disappointed."

"I KNOW I'm not going to lose! I'm just not going to stake one of my Pokemon on a battle. Doing so would be dumb." He looked to the side, mumbling. "But not as dumb as your hairstyle."

It was Winda's turn to glare. "I heard that. Fine, let's battle. One on one battle with no substitutions. If you call back your Pokemon, you lose. You win, you can go." She pulls out a Pokeball and gives it a toss, releasing the Pokemon from inside.

"Kro!" The Krokorok let out, crossing its arms and giving a smug look.

"What is..." Ash pulls out his pokedex.

" _Krokorok, the Desert Croc Pokemon. Krokorok is native to the Unova and Kalos Regions. The membrane covering its eyes allows it to see heat signatures."_

Reading up a little more, Ash noted that it was a Ground and Dark type. "Ground, huh? I got just the thing." He pulled out a Pokeball and tossed it out, releasing his choice for the battle.

"Kukiki!" Krabby snapped his pincers, staring up at the Krokorok, foam bubbling from his mouth. The crab Pokemon was currently in the blond's roster from the training practice the previous day.

Winda raised an eyebrow. "That's a rather tiny Krabby you have there." She shrugged. "It's almost a shame, really. Krokorok, end this quickly with Thunder Fang."

"Kro!" The crocodile Pokemon opened up its mouth as it charged towards Krabby, electricity crackling within its mouth!

"What? It can-" Ash shook his head to concentrate, not expecting a ground type to be able to have an electric attack in its arsenal. "Krabby, leap up onto Krokorok's head and Stomp!"

Krabby weren't amazing jumpers as a whole, but they still possessed some strenght in their legs. As such, the small crab was able to leap above his opponent's head before it could bite him. As it came down onto the crock, his foot shimmered as he landed a strong downward kick that sent Krokorok's head smashing into the concrete.

Winda gives a brief frown. "Krokorok, spin around and deliver a Payback!"

With amazing fluidity, Krokorok spun around in a fantastic mimicry of the well known crocodilian death roll. However, unlike the actual thing, the croc Pokemon's claw glowed darkly, mashing against Krabby as it completed its turn and sending the tiny crab skidding.

"Krabby! Are you alright?" Ash asked in concern. He never used it in an actual battle, so maybe this was a mistake.

"Kushishi..." Krabby answered as he got to his feet, wobbling a little. He snapped his claws as bubbles foamed from his mouth. He wasn't about to lose in his first actual battle with his trainer, especially not after training with her. He wanted to show her he could be depended on.

"Kukishi!" He loudly shouted as a bright glow surrounded his body, which began to reshape itself.

Misty stared in surprise. "Is Krabby..."

"It's evolving!" Brock finished. "In its first battle, too!"

Ash and Pikachu just stared in awe as this happened. Perhaps all that training paid off in allowing Krabby to reach this point?

Budew also stared, but for him, it was due to this being the first time he had witnessed an evolution, and even learning of such an occurrence. To him, seeing such a thing was amazing, and caused him to wonder if he could eventually evolve as well.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Winda muttered, hands on her hips. It just wasn't fair to have a Pokemon evolve during a battle like that. Granted, if it occurred on her behave, she wouldn't complain. "Krokorok, get in there fast and Thunder Fang it before it finishes!"

Krokorok nodded and lunged at the evolving opponent. However, it was too late as Krabby – now Kingler – finished his evolution. In response to the oncoming croc, the crab lashed out with his oversized claw. Krokorok was caught by the backhand and found itself launched away and over the edge of the bridge. "Krooooooooooo!"

"Krokorok!" Winda shouted as she scrambled over to the side of the bridge and raised the Pokemon in question's Pokeball. The beam shot out and hit the falling sand croc, summoning it back into its ball right before it hit the water. The gang leader sighed out in relief before slumping in defeat. "Well I guess I lose that one."

Ash laughed as he glomped onto Kingler. "You're amazing, Kingler! Look at you! You evolved! Though I kind of wished we could battle a little more so I could see how strong you are now." Well, there was always next time they battled, he reasoned.

"That's what I call a lucky break." Misty muttered, but was rather relieved.

The rest of Winda's gang, however, wasn't as pleased with the outcome. "That wasn't fair!" One yelled as they surrounded Ash's group.

"Winda would have won for sure!"

"We won't let you embarrass her like that, you brat!"

"Er... um..." Ash sweated at being surrounded. "Look, we can probably talk this out, right?"

Budew frowned at the people making his trainer so uncomfortable. Opening up his bud, he unleashed a stream of pollen at a few of them, causing them to suffer a bout of intense sneezing with tears leaking from their eyes.

Brock tugged at his shirt collar nervously. "I think that kind of made things a little worse." The other bikers definitely didn't seem happy.

Before the bikers could do anything else, Winda stomped a foot. "That's enough you clowns!" The shout rendered the whole group silent as she walked over to Ash. She was clearly annoyed with her loss, but realized it was just that. "You win, Princess. You and your friends can go."

"Really?"

"A deal's a deal, girlie. However, next time we meet, I expect another battle." Reaching out, she pulled Ash's hat down over his eyes. "I won't accept that some pampered little princess is a better trainer than me, you got that?"

Ash pushed his hat back up. "I'm not a pampered little princess! And I won't accept any defeat from someone like you." He pulled down his eyelid and stuck his tongue out.

Winda laughed. "I think I like you, kid." She stepped out of the way and barked an order at her gang while smirking. "Get in line and make a path for the little princess and her entourage gang!"

The other bikers quickly did as they were told as they split up and stood in two straight lines, creating a path to allow the three to continue through.

Recalling Kingler, and putting Pikachu and Budew back into the bike basket, a blushing Ash quietly pedaled his way passed the group, followed by Misty and Brock directly behind him. The former of the two caught up and moved along his side.

"... don't say a word, Misty."

"I couldn't possibly imagine what you're talking about." The girl answered, feigning ignorance. "I mean, there is no way I could bring myself to cause problems for the lovely Princess Ashley." She quickly sped off ahead of him. "You should be more trusting, girlfriend!"

"Get back here!" Ash yelled, his entire face red in embarrassment now. "What did I ever do to deserve thiiiiiis?" He whined.

"It's not all bad, Ash." Brock pulled up next to him. "Think of how lucky you are to be able to make friends with so many lovely women!" He holds up a fist, looking ahead. "Ash, you must tell the women you meet about me if you meet any while I'm not around. Let them know that there is a handsome guy on the lookout!"

Ash said nothing as they continued on their way.

* * *

Finally, after a spell of uneventful biking, the trio reached the opposite side of Cycling Road. The whole trip from one side to the other had taken less than a handful of hours thanks to it being a near straight pathway. Thankfully there were a few rest points along the way. If they had gone the path south of Celadon, it likely would have taken a while longer due to various obstacles in the way.

After disembarking from their bikes and sending them back to storage via the teleporters, the trio took a moment to stretch their bodies and rest. Once revitalized, they continued on their way towards Fuchsia. Being even closer to his goal, Ash was positively jumping in excitement.

"Gonna get my fifth badge soon!" After that, he would just need three more badges! He was so going to be ready by the time the next league conference.

"Just remember that the gym is a Poison Type one, Ash." Brock rubbed his chin in thought. "You don't have any Pokemon that are weak to Poison, but you also don't have any that are strong against it either."

"Poison... poison..." Ash ran the word through his head, attempting to recall the type chart Erika had him read over. "You're right. Though since none of my Pokemon are weak to Poison, it should go a bit easier." Well, there was the risk of actually being poisoned to worry about. Reaching down, he patted Budew, who was back to resting in his bag.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" Misty pointed, causing the rest of the group to look. "It's some kind of construction, but for what?"

True enough, there was an area roped off as construction workers went about their job. Strong Pokemon such as Machoke and Gurdurr were also helping with the building and moving of material. What was clear was that whatever they were working on had a long silver brick walkway with stone pillars.

Ash, interested in knowing what was going on, ran on over to the rope. "Hey! What are you guys building?" His question went unanswered due to all of the workers being unable to hear him over the noise. Before he could try and ask again, a voice spoke up from nearby.

"They're building something that will help bring excitement to this region."

Ash turned to see a somewhat tubby man with curly brown hair and a pair of sunglasses. His outfit consisted of a blue tropical shirt, white shorts, and a pair of white shoes. A large, toothy grin was plastered across his face. To the blond, he felt like he was a guy who was rather friendly.

"Who are you, and what do you mean it'll help bring excitement?"

The man adjusted his glasses. "The name's Scott, young lady, and what you see before you is just the latest masterpiece in the expansion that will be known as the Battle Frontier. This is the soon to be Battle Pike."

Ash instantly turned curious. "Battle Frontier?"

"I think I've heard of that!" Broke spoke up. "The Battle Frontier is a series of 'expert battle facilities' that originated in Hoenn a while back."

Scott snapped his fingers and pointed at Brock. "You got it! The Battle Frontier was doing rather well in Hoenn, and has since started to branch out into the other surrounding regions. Kanto is the next logical step."

Misty decided to ask a question. "What is it that you do exactly?"

"Well," Scott began, "each facility is home to a Frontier Brain, who is a very strong and recognized trainer. You can think of it as almost like a Gym Leader in a way, but they are steps above, but also still steps below the skill of an Elite 4 member. If you win against them, you are awarded a Frontier Symbol for your accomplishment. There are seven symbols in all."

Ash's eyes sparkled at hearing about all of this. Strong trainers? Symbols being given as proof that you defeated them? That was right up his alley! "I wanna challenge the battle frontier!"

"Pika-pika!" Pikachu's cheeks sparked in determination.

Scott glanced directly at Ash, as if examining him and his ability. "When did you become a trainer, young lady?"

"Um... in April, so over three months ago. I already got four badges too!"

"I see." Scott nodded, crossing his arms. "Sorry, but no."

"What? Why nooooooot?" Ash whined. "I'm a great trainer!"

The man shook his head. "You're still a trainer fresh in your journey. The Battle Frontier is a place for more experienced trainers. Besides, the Frontier Brain isn't even here right now." He gave him a toothy grin. "Maybe later after you're more experienced. Try to take part in at least two regional leagues or so first, kay?"

The young blond pouted, but nodded. "Alright..."

"By the way, what's your name?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm Ashley Ketchum."

"Ashley, huh? Well, I hope to see you again someday, Ashley." Waving, he walked off to his car and proceeded to drive off.

The Battle Frontier. It was something that Ash would keep in the back of his mind. Maybe someday he'd be able to challenge it and see just exactly what it was like for himself.

* * *

"Alright! Fuchsia city!" Ash shouted out as the trio entered the city. It was clearly smaller than both Celadon and Saffron, but still had its share of some large business-like buildings and a few districts. Before finding the gym, however, they needed to make a quick stop at the Pokemon Center, mainly to get Kingler checked over.

The Pokemon Center was deeper into town and towards the center. As they reached the town square, the group noticed a small grassy area designed like a Pokeball. In the very center of the grass was a large, lovely fir tree. Volbeet and Illumise danced in a pattern around the tree.

The sight of the Bug pokemon caused Misty to shiver slightly. Still, she had to admit that the view was lovely.

As Ash made his way into the Pokemon Center, he collided with someone who was rushing out at the same time. This caused the young trainer to fall backwards onto his butt. Pikachu caught up to him to see if he was okay. "Hey! Watch where you're going!" He got back to his feet and dusted himself off, as well as made sure Budew was alright.

"Watch where I'm going? You should watch out as well!" The girl shouted back, rubbing her head. She was a young girl maybe around the same age as him. Her hair was dark purple and pulled back into a spiky ponytail. Her clothing consisted of what clearly looked to be a ninja-inspired outfit, and she even had a red flowing scarf around her neck. "If you were my target, then you would have been done for!"

"What are..." Ash blinked. "Wait, you're a ninja?"

The girl nodded. "You got it! I've been training to be a kunoichi ever since I was a little girl. My father is the best ninja in the world." She got to her feet and dusted herself off before giving a pose. "I'm Janine, the daughter of Koga, the Gym Leader of this city!"

"She's about as loud as Ash sometimes, too." Misty whispered to Brock, who stifled a reply.

"Really? I'm here to challenge Koga! You can show me where the gym is." Forgetting his annoyance from the earlier collision, Ash's eyes sparkled as he stared at the kunoichi.

"Well, I could, but do you think you're worthy of facing my dad? He's an amazing trainer." Janine crossed her arms and puffed out her chest. "I don't know if you would stand a chance."

"I bet you I could do so without a problem."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

Both of them stared each other down, and Misty thought they were going to get into a fight. However, the staring came to an end as Janine gave the boy a thumbs up.

"I like your spirit! I'll take you to my father's gym. What's your name, anyway?"

"Ashley Ketchum of Pallet Town."

"Ashley, huh? Got it! I'll take you to dad once you think you're ready enough."

Misty face-palmed. "They're both knuckleheads."

* * *

"Why is the gym out here in the forest?" Brock inquired as the group followed Janine away from the city proper and into the woods surrounding it.

"Simple, the Fuchsia Gym doubles as a ninja mansion for training others in the art of ninjitsu. It's also really old and was built when the city was just a tiny town." Janine periodically bounded off of the bark of trees as she went, earning awed looks from Ash, who wished he could do such things. "Dad doesn't want to move because the spot holds a lot of history and significance."

Brock nodded in understanding.

The group soon had their glimpse of the Fuchsia Gym, which did indeed have the appearance of a traditional Japanese mansion. The wall surrounding the property separated it from the cliff side it rested against. Despite being old, the place was obviously well kept and in good shape. Making their way through the entry gate, Ash gave a slight shiver, feeling as if they were being watched.

"You weren't kidding. This place really is old." The blond spoke as his eyes scanned the interior. "It kinda feels weird too."

"Feels weird?" Janine blinked. "What do you mean by that?" Did she underestimate the girl in assuming she didn't have anything special about her?

He shook his head. "I dunno. Something just feels kinda off. I've been getting these kinda feelings off and on lately." Maybe he was becoming a psychic like Sabrina. That would be kinda neat if it were the case.

"It's probably just an increase in common sense." Misty supplied, placing her hand on a wall, and almost falling through as it rotated. "Wha?! What's with this wall?!" She yelled, regaining her balance.

"It's a ninja mansion, so of course there would be secret entrances and traps all around." Janine answered in a matter-of-fact manner.

The water Pokemon trainer turned nervous. "Ah... traps?" Suddenly she wasn't so sure about coming here.

Hearing the sound of something shuffling, Ash turned his head to see a Venonat shuffle into the area. "Hey... that's a Venonat." He had witnessed a trainer use one against Erika a couple days prior. He completely missed Janine's happy look at seeing it.

Venonat waved an antenna to Janine, recognizing her. Though it looked at Ash and the others and tilted. They didn't really look all that smart, so maybe it would have a little fun. "Ven ven!" It hopped as if taunting the blond trainer before turning around and wiggling its butt before running off.

"Wh- hey! Get back here now!" Ash shouted as he rushed after the Bug Pokemon in annoyance. No way was he letting it get away with that.

Janine muttered under her breath, shrugging. "No control at all. I said there were traps."

Misty, Brock, and Pikachu glanced at each other before quickly following after, hoping to keep their friend from getting hurt!

As Ash ran down a hallway, there was a sudden 'sense' that flashed through his mind, as if something dangerous was close. Reacting instantly, he jumped backwards... and collided into Misty and Brock. Pikachu had managed to dodge, and watched Budew giggle from the safety of Ash's bag.

"A- Ash! What do you think you're doing?!" Misty rubbed her rear where she fell, wincing. "Why don't you watch where you're going?"

For his part, the blond appeared sheepish. "Sorry. It's just that I felt as if something was going to happen if I continued running."

"That's because it was! Look!" Brock pointed ahead of them to a missing panel on the floor. Within the panel was a Voltorb, crackling with electricity as it stared at them.

"A Voltorb?" Ash asked, standing up. He had a Voltorb clock at home, though he was certain it got busted in his sleep. "What's that doing here?"

Janine walked up to them. "I tried to tell you. This place is booby trapped. My dad owns a bunch of Voltorb, so you need to watch out when you move. If not, well... you'd have to be really foolish."

"Foolish?" Ash scoffed as he stepped to the side of the Voltorb, placing his hand on the wall. "I managed to avoid a trap, so I think I'm smarter than that." The spot on the wall he touched pushed inwards, and from the ceiling dropped a rope with a small object attached at the end of it. Before Ash could question what it was, or Janine to give a warning, it exploded in a very bright flash of light. "MY EYES!"

The rest of the group managed to turn away, with Budew ducking into the bag. Ash, however, wasn't as lucky as he rubbed his eyes. "I've been blinded!"

Brock was concerned. "Maybe we should leave for now and come back later." Some medical attention was also likely needed.

It was then that Ash spoke back up, looking around. However, his eyes were still closed. "... hey, what's wrong with the lighting? Is this some kind of trick?"

Misty tilted her head. "Nothing is wrong with the lighting."

"Whaddaya mean? Everything is all weird. It's all black, and you are all weird white blobs." He frowned, clearly not realizing his eyes were still closed. This must be some weird thing with the flash device.

Before anybody could say anything, Venonat reappeared over the corner, and Ash took off after it. Worried, the group was close behind. As they rounded the corner, they saw him come to a halt in the middle of the hallway, touching a hand to thin air. He then turned and ran towards the wall that turned out to be a hidden path.

"... she's actually kinda neat." Janine muttered, knowing full well there was an invisible wall right there, and the girl somehow realized. Not only that, but she was able to pinpoint a hidden entrance in no time. "But how is she doing that with her eyes closed?"

The others shook their heads, clearly confused on the matter. It was then that a series of THUNKS were heard slamming against wall. Worried, they charged on through, only to see Ash having ducked low to the ground. Turning, they saw a series of shuriken embedded into the wood paneling, causing Brock and Misty to sweat nervously.

"Ah ha, so someone who appears to have some skill has come!" A voice, clearly feminine, announced. The owner of the voice hopped down from above, revealed to be from a young woman with dark green hair tied in a ponytail. Her ninja outfit was a light pink. "I'm impressed. Any other person would have had their clothing pinned to the wall."

"Auntie Aya!" Janine shouted happily, waving to the woman.

Aya waved back. "Hello Janine. I wasn't expecting to see you so soon today, and you brought some friends."

The younger ninja nodded, pointing towards Ash, who was sitting up. "She's come to challenge dad for-"

She never got to finish as Brock made his way over to Aya, lovestruck. "That electric pink suits you perfectly. Janine never said she had such a lovely and beautiful aunt. How about-" He quickly found himself pushed to the ground by the kunoichi, who crossed her arms and held him at bay with her foot.

"Challenger, huh? Well my brother isn't here right now, so I'll be glad to test her to see if she's worthy." Aya smirked, Venonat walking in. "I was impressed by her dodging, but I wonder how she is at battling."

"Koga isn't here right now?" Ash asked with disappointment, still not realizing his eyes were closed. "Then who is hiding behind that wall over there, and what did your flash bomb do to my eyes?!"

Everybody was silent, including Aya. "Nobody is hiding-"

"Very impressive, young lady." The wall spun around, revealing Koda. "To be able to perceive my location even though I was erasing my presence, especially with your eyes closed." He was actually shocked that the girl had managed to do that with such ease.

"... eyes closed?" The blond was silent at the revelation. After a second, he opened his eyes and looked around. "Hey! Everything is normal looking again!" His shout caused Misty and Brock to just stare. Wow, did he ever feel silly for thinking that there was something wrong with his vision. Though why was he able to sort of see with his eyes closed in the first place?

"Very curious." Koga rubbed his chin in contemplation. The girl appeared to possess some degree of skill, especially with her eyes closed. However, it also seemed as if she were unaware of it herself. This interested him greatly. "You say you are here to challenge me, young lady?"

At the mention of challenge, Ash jumped to his feet. "Yeah! I'm Ashley Ketchum, and I'm here to challenge you for the Soul Badge!"

"Well then, I'm sorry to interrupt the battle you were going to have, Aya, but my interest in testing this young challenger has surfaced." Aya bowed to him and stepped to the side, allowing Koga some room. "I welcome you to the Fuchsia Gym, Ashley, and I accept your challenge." Not only did he want to test the child's battle skills, but he also wanted to inquire more about her strange skill in reading her surroundings.

"Alright!" Ash clenched his fist. This was what he was waiting for!

* * *

Author's Notes: This ended up a long one.

Kanto Anime world geography is complete and total bunk, making it somewhat difficult to really get a handle on some things. In the anime, they went South of Celadon, and along the way encountered some mountains. Maybe they encountered some water. Gringy City might be close to the Vermillion Bay/Harbor. At the same time, the question of just how long it would take via the paths is also something to question. I dunno if the cycling road would take that long, or... whatever. I tried working with what I could.

The anime had the bike bridge in the Bridge Bike Gang episode, but it wasn't between Celadon and Fuchsia. Then in the Battle Frontier arc, they showed the actual Cycling Road, but it was clearly situated between Lavender and Fuchsia. As such, I'm just going to go with the idea that there could be two 'Cycling Roads' in the anime. It's honestly better than constantly obsessing over the details of crappy geography and trying to make sense of it.

Krabby's evolution here. Considering it did evolve during the League after one battle, it's not too out there that it evolved here, especially after having some training.

And sorry guys. No Muk for Ashley. I do wish that I could have included it in the story.

Also, in the anime during the Battle Frontier arc, Fuchsia City was shown to be somewhat abandoned near the town square, and the fir tree having lost most of its needles. However, after time travel shenanigans involving May, Squirtle, and Meowth, the place was lively. I considered what I would do with it, and decided it'd be neat if things here were progressing on a 'corrected Fuchsia' timeline. Time travel is all kinds of nonsense.

Next time will be the Fuchsia Gym battle.

Also a link to Ash's current outfit is in my profile.


	13. Poison is Hazardous

Celadon's New Blossom

"So," Koga adjusted his wristbands as he got into position on his side of the training hall. "Before we begin, tell me, where is it that you come from, young lady?" His attention was directed towards the young blond standing on the opposite side.

"I'm from Pallet Town." Ash answered as he worked on trying to figure out which Pokemon he would use for the match. For safety, he had given Budew to Misty to hold on to. Thankfully the young Grass Pokemon was comfortable enough around her to let her hold him. "Though I've kinda been living in Celadon for a little while after Erika decided to train me."

Koga raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh ho, so you're being trained by another gym leader then?" Clearly there was something to this girl in terms of battling skill in addition to what she displayed earlier if she got the attention of another Gym Leader. "So, about the awareness that you showed just a moment ago. Was that the first time that ever happened?"

The blond shook his head. "I think it happened a couple days ago also, but I thought it was just a dream." It was before he got up that morning. He was laying comfortably in bed when a bunch of vague shapes started to appear in his mind, with the layout looking almost like Erika's home. However, he woke up almost instantly and managed to forget about it. "I really don't know what was going on. I just know I've been dealing with some weird stuff lately."

"Chu" Pikachu nodded in agreement.

"Can you be more precise about what you mean by 'weird stuff'?"

"It's like she can sometimes tell when someone else is around before actually seeing them." Misty beat Ash to the punch. "And there were a couple of times in the last week where she would reply to something I was thinking, and then say she thought I actually said it." She actually thought she DID accidentally say it out loud, but now she wasn't really sure.

"I've noticed that too." Brock supplied.

"I think I can also kind of sense how people are feeling sometimes." Ash scratched his cheek in embarrassment. He really didn't notice when he did all of this unless someone pointed it out. It all just came to him as various feelings. "Maybe it means I'm becoming psychic? Meeting Sabrina could have unlocked some kinda awesome psychic powers that were hidden!" His eyes sparkled at the idea of ending up with powers like some of the heroes from comics.

Misty groaned at the idea. "I hope not." Someone like Ash having access to psychic powers was a recipe for disaster.

Koga considered the details. "It doesn't necessarily have to be psychic powers. From what you have described, it sounds like it could be a bit more spiritual than mental." There were many different forms of spiritual energy that existed in some manner, whether actual or theoretical. However...

"I may have some knowledge that will shed a little insight on what you are dealing with, young lady." The ninja watched the blond for a reaction. As he figured, she looked directly at him with rapt attention and for him to continue. "However, I will only relinquish this information if you defeat me in our battle." He pulls out a Pokeball.

Ash's face showed disappointment for only a second before it vanished, replaced with an excited grin. "Pfft, I was planning on defeating you anyway for the Soul Badge, so that works for me!" Now he had another reason to defeat Koga if the man had information on what he was dealing with.

"Our battle will be three vs three, and only the challenger, you, will be allowed to substitute Pokemon." He was originally going to have it be two vs two, but after hearing that the girl was being trained by Erika, he reconsidered. Both his own clan and her family line extended back to more traditional times, and he was feeling a desire to test her to see just what Erika saw in her.

"Go dad!" Janine shouted from her spot next to Misty and Brock. "Though you do good as well, Ashley. You just won't defeat my dad!"

"Says you! I'll defeat him and do better than just 'good'." Ash stuck his tongue out at Janine. "I don't lose easily."

Misty held Budew closely in her arms. "Do it, Ashley!"

Brock nodded. They'll be able to see how their friend had improved.

A smirk flashed across Koga's features. "You do have spirit, but spirit can only carry you so far." He gave his Pokeball a toss, and with a pop and a flash, his Pokemon of choice materialized onto the floor.

"Muuuuuuuuuuk!" The goopy, purple sludge monster squelched as it bobbed up and down, slapping a sticky hand against the floor before it.

Misty and Brock held their noses as the stench of the creature wafted over to them. Ash, however, wasn't faring any better as he was down to his hands and knees in an instant. His face was green and full of what appeared to be nausea. However, he did manage to raise his Pokedex.

" _Muk, the Sludge Pokemon. From Muk's body seeps a foul fluid that gives off a nose-bendingly horrible stench. Just one drop of this Pokémon's body fluid can turn a pool stagnant and rancid."_

Ash gagged and tried to cover his nose, but the smell had already infiltrated his nostrils. "I- I've heard of Muk, but I never thought it'd smell so horrible."

"I don't think I've seen many people this put off by Muk's smell." Janine couldn't keep a snicker from escaping, causing Ash to blush in embarrassment.

Koga raised an eyebrow, not expecting the girl to have such a sensitive nose. "If the smell is too much for you to handle, we can always count this as a loss for you."

Shaking his head quickly, Ash accepted the white face mask that Pikachu dug out of his bag for him. Taking the small amount of scented freshener his friend also handed to him, he sprayed a little on the inside of the mask before putting it on. "I can still battle!" It was so humiliating that he had become weak to something as dumb as a 'bad smell' and had to resort to wearing a face mask for it.

"Muuuukmaka!" Muk seemed to be laughing at the silly girl before it, slapping its squishy hands against the floor in mirth.

Ash glared at the Muk in annoyance, but tossed out his own Pokeball. "Go Charmeleon!"

Soon, Charmeleon materialized on the battlefield, looking ready to fight. "Char!" He let out a short stream of flames upwards.

"Oh ho, a Charmeleon. I was expecting something a bit more grass oriented considering your origins, but that would have made this battle a bit too easy."

Aya held her arm in the air, looking between them. "Trainers... begin!" She instantly lowered the arm to signify the start of the battle.

"Charmeleon, let him have a Flamethrower!" Ash yelled to start it off. In response, the fire lizard inhaled before quickly exhaling a stream of flames at the purple pile of mutant sludge!

Koga remained calm as the flames careened towards his Pokemon. "Muk, use Acid Armor."

"Muuuu" Its body bubbled as it proceeded to dissolve, melting into nothing more than a puddle on the floor. The flaming attack from Charmeleon passed safely overhead without even touching it. Once the coast was clear, Muk pulled itself back together and reshaped itself back to its former glory.

"No way!" Ash let out in surprise, though quickly reasoned that for a creature made out of ooze, melting into a puddle was something that probably came easily. "Well, we'll just have to make sure we hit it! Charmeleon, surround it with a Fire Spin."

"Char!" He unleashed some more flames. This time, the flames surrounded Muk in the form of a fiery tornado that swirled and raged as embers licked at its gooey body. Within the inferno, Muk squirmed with some obvious discomfort.

"Now it won't be able to move!" Misty cheered. "Even if it melted, it wouldn't be able to escape the attack."

"A very good strategy, Ashley." Koga crossed his arms as he diverted his attention back towards the flames. "But I do hope that you do not think that you have won by simply surrounding your opponent. Muk, show this young lady the power of your Mud Bomb."

From within the tornado, Muk opened its humongous gaping maw before unleashing gobs of goopy mud that impacted against the flames. The impacts of mud disoriented the fire attack, causing the tornado to disperse. A few more globs continued forward and slammed into Charmeleon.

"Meleon!" The fire lizard stepped backwards and tried to wipe the mud off of his face.

"Charmeleon, are you alright?" Ash asked with some worry.

Charmeleon wiped some of the mud from his eyes and glared directly at Muk. His eyes were alight with fire and anger. "Char cha chaaaaar!" Without being told to, he opened his mouth and let loose another Flamethrower.

"Charmeleon, I never told you to do Flamethrower!" Ash called out, causing the fire lizard to halt and scratch the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Yeah, I get it, you got too caught up in the moment." Ever since evolving from Charmander, Charmeleon became a bit more prone to rash decisions when something went against his pride, causing him to react sometimes without really thinking.

"Charmeleon definitely gained some hotheaded tendencies from Ash." Brock muttered as he scratched his chin.

Misty shrugged and sighed. "They do say that Pokemon and Trainers tend to take after one another after a while." At that moment, Psyduck popped up and looked directly at Misty, who quickly recalled him with a blush. "No way."

Koga raised an eyebrow. "It appears as if your Charmeleon could use a bit more training in quelling its temper." Lifting a hand, he pointed. "Muk, Minimize and make your way over to Charmeleon!"

"Muuuuuuk!" The sludge creature's body shimmered, and in moments it started to... shrink. Much to the surprise of Ash and his friends, Muk had managed to shrink in size to just a few inches tall. After which, it oozed along the floor over to Charmeleon, moving between his legs and circling him.

"Wh- Slash at it with your claws, Charmeleon!" Ash watched as his Pokemon attempted to do so, but the small size of his opponent caused it to become almost impossible to even touch it. All it led to was Charmeleon nearly tripping over himself in the process.

"Muk, use Sludge." At this command, Muk opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of vile, poisonous goop into Charmeleon's face before backing off.

Wobbling and stepping backwards, the Fire Type Pokemon wiped the substance off, but winced and seemed to struggle for a moment. His face showed that he was in some pain, and Ash realized that he had been poisoned.

"Ashley, you better call Charmeleon back!" Brock shouted, realizing that it could be bad if the battle continued.

Janine laughed. "You see that? That's the power of Poison Pokemon! Dad won't lose!"

Looking at his Pokemon, and then towards Muk, Ash tried to think. He knew that Charmeleon was going to constantly take damage, and wouldn't have much longer before the poison caused him to collapse. However, he also knew that Charmeleon wouldn't want to just bow out now. There was also the fact that Muk was still so tiny and would be a problem to try and hit, unless... well, it was really risky, but he had to try it.

"Charmeleon, cover the area with a smokescreen!"

"Ashley, what are you doing?!" Misty yelled in surprise.

Ash's Pokemon nodded with a wince. Opening his mouth, he unleashed a cloud of dark smoke that soon covered both him and Muk from the view of their trainers. Nobody could see into the dense cover. Ash then closed his eyes and hoped.

Koga realized instantly what his opponent was trying to do, and was actually curious to see if the young lady could pull it off and allow it to provide useful in a situation such as this.

Charmeleon frowned as he tried to look around within the smoke. Just what was Ash thinking by having him cover the whole area? Neither of them could see Muk and vice versa. If they didn't do anything soon, the poison was going to make it so he couldn't do anything at all.

"Charmeleon!" Ash's voice cut through the cloud. "Turn your head a couple centimeters to the right, tilt your head down a little, and use a Flamethrower!

The fire lizard blinked at this but complied. As the fire was released from his mouth, he heard the distinct sound of Muk yelling out in shock. After the flames stopped, and the smoke dissipated, everyone looked on to see a scorched Muk laying unconscious on the floor. Its smaller body causing it to take a bit more damage from the flames.

"Muk is unable to continue. The victor is Charmeleon!" Aya shouted.

"We did it!" Ash yelled out as he hugged Charmeleon. "You did great, buddy! Sorry that you got poisoned, though."

"Chu pika pi!" Pikachu raised a hand and gave his fellow Pokemon a thumbs up, who returned one of his own before wincing. "Pi pika?" He asked with worry.

Ash reached into his bag and quickly pulled out a Pecha berry, which he handed to Charmeleon. "Here you go. Eat this, and then take a good rest." Thanks to Erika, he had several berries and medicinal herbs he carried for emergencies like this

"Ch- Char..." He took the berry and at it. The special properties of it working almost instantly to heal him of his ailment. Once he was no longer poisoned, Ash called him back into his Pokeball so that he could relax for a bit.

Koga clapped after recalling Muk. "Very impressive, Ashley. It appears as if you are capable of using that skill of yours in battle as a unique strategy. If you can fully get the hang of it, then you may have a counter for smoke-based techniques used to obscure the vision."

Ash scratched his cheek, feeling both pride and embarrassment at the praise. "Thanks, though I kind of feel as if I cheated in a way."

Janine pouted, crossing her arms. "That was so cheating."

"Do not think of it that way. You were merely using a skill that you possess to contribute to the battle alongside your Pokemon. It is no different than a psychic trainer communicating telepathically with their Pokemon." Koga pulled out his next Pokeball. "A person should not allow the skills they possess to go to waste, and should nurture the abilities they have. Now, let us move on with our battle." He tossed the ball, which opened up and materialized his next Pokemon.

"Ven Veno!" The Venomoth flapped its wings, releasing a few small particles to float in the are around it. The sight of it caused Misty to shiver slightly.

" _Venomoth, the Poison Moth Pokemon, and the evolved form of Venonat. Tiny scales on its wings disperse various spores when they are flapped."_

Ash realized that was something he'd have to be careful of. "A bug type, huh?" He pulled out one of his Pokeballs and threw it. "Come on out, Pidgeotto!"

"Pidgeo!" The bird Pokemon yelled out as he flapped his wings, floating in the air opposite of Venomoth.

Brock tapped his chin. "This looks like it'll be a better match up in Ashley's favor. Flying types have an advantage over Bug."

Janine looked at him. "In theory, but don't just expect type advantage to win here."

"A flying type, I see. Well then, let's get this started. Venomoth, Silver Wind."

"Veno!" The moth Pokemon flapped its wings and unleashed several silvery crescents made of compacted dust at Pidgeotto. The attack moved at a quick speed, hitting the bird Pokemon and knocking it back with some rather nice power to it.

Pidgeotto wobbled as he managed to catch himself. "Pidgeo!" He let out, shaking his head to clear it from the hit.

"A Bug type attack shouldn't have had that much affect on a Flying type." Ash let out in surprise, looking at Pidgeotto to see if he was okay.

"Venomoth possesses the ability Tinted Lens, which doubles the power of attacks that would otherwise be 'not very effective' against its target. This means that a Bug type attack against a Flying type Pokemon would do full damage." Koga supplied.

Frowning at that, but nodding, the young blond pointed at Venomoth. "Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack!"

"Geo!" Flapping his wings, Pidgeotto built up some energy before shooting at his opponent!

"Stun Spore" At Koga's command, the moth Pokemon flapped its wings, unleashing a cloud of spores that would occupy the space between it and the oncoming bird.

Ash realized that Pidgeotto would dash right into the cloud of paralyzing dust if he didn't do anything quick, but there was no way to get him to just stop. "Pidgeotto, spin around quickly and kick up a whirlwind to blow the spores away!"

Complying, the bird Pokemon quickly began spinning as it charged at Venomoth. As he hit the spore cloud, a gust of strong wind caused it to disperse. Still in the midst of the Quick Attack, Pidgeotto crashed into Venomoth and sent it flying into the nearby wall, where it slid down to the floor unconscious.

"Venomoth is unable to battle. The victory goes to Pidgeotto!" Aya announced.

"Alright! Good job, Pidgeotto! You did it!" Ash laughed as he hugged his Pokemon, who nuzzled him happily. Pikachu cheered for him as well.

"That was too short!" Janine shouted with a hint of disappointment. "It should have lasted longer!" She had to admit that Ashley was doing a lot better than she initially thought the girl would, though. "Venomoth wouldn't have been knocked out if it didn't crash into the wall."

Misty gave the girl a pat on the back. "The match just wasn't in Venomoth's favor is all." On her lap, Budew seemed entranced by the battle before him, if the fact that he was hopping up and down and cheering was of any indication.

"I accept that loss and will learn from my mistake for later." Koda recalled Venomoth back into its Pokeball. "That was excellent strategy and quick thinking to have your Pidgeotto spin around like it did to knock the spores away. I can see why Erika was interested in taking you on as a student." He pulled out his final Pokeball. "But this one won't go down as quickly." He gave it a toss.

"Croaaa!" The Crobat flapped its for wings as it stared directly at Ash and Pidgeotto.

" _Crobat, the Bat Pokemon, and the final evolved form of Zubat. With its two additional wings, Crobat is able to fly at intense speeds."_

"Really fast, huh." Well, they'll just have to be fast and get the first hit. "Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!" With that command, his Pokemon charged ahead directly at the nearly six foot tall bat... only to hit nothing but an after image as said bat seemed to disappear. "That really is fast!"

Koga stood calmly. "Cross Poison." After the command was given, Crobat appeared directly behind Pidgeotto and slammed into him hard. The attack sent the bird flying forward and nearly losing his footing in the air.

Ash and Pikachu yelled to him in worry as he winced and turned around to face his opponent again. "Use Gust this time!" Nodding at the command, he flapped his wings and unleashed strong winds towards Crobat.

Crobat, however, dodged the wind and the resulting tornado easily, and managed to get close to Pidgeotto before he even realized. It was at this point that Koga commanded it to use Mean Look, and its eyes glowed with an eerie aura. Pidgeotto, in response was covered in a faint light.

Ash frowned. "What was..."

"That's not good!' Brock yelled. "Pidgeotto can no longer be called back during battle!"

Koga's lips turned into a smirk. "Toxic"

Crobat's mouth opened, showing off its fangs. With a quick motion, it bit down on Pidgeotto, injecting him with poison.

"PIDGEO!" Pidgeotto yelled out as he struggled and squirmed, managing to kick away from the bat Pokemon. However, the damage was done, and he was showing the signs of the poisoning. Unlike with Charmeleon, though, he seemed to be having a harder time.

Panicking a little, Ash raised his Pokeball and attempted to return his Pokemon to it, but the beam wouldn't work. "Oh crap, that's right, the Mean Look!"

"And now, for the finishing touch on this little battle. Crobat, use Venoshock."

Crobat nodded and opened its mouth again. This time, it spewed a disgusting looking liquid at Pidgeotto. The substance hit, and Pidgeotto yelled out in obvious discomfort and pain.

"Venoshock's power is doubled if the target is already poisoned. Do you not see why I had Crobat use Mean Look first?"

Ash seemed rather distraught as he watched Pidgeotto, giving off his own wince as if he felt something as well. As everybody watched, Pidgeotto finally lost the energy he needed to stay in the air and fell towards the floor. "Pidgeotto!" Ash yelled as he rushed forward and dived forward, catching the bird before he hit the ground. "Pidgeotto, are you alright?"

"P- Pidgo..." Pidgeotto winced in pain, but nodded as he reached up and gave his trainer a nuzzle. He felt ashamed that he couldn't stay in the battle and deal with his opponent

"Pidgeotto is unable to battle! Victory goes to Crobat!" Aya shouted.

The blond gave a sad smile. "Hey now... don't go feeling bad, alright? You did a great job against Venomoth. You're amazing, and neither of us were ready for Crobat's speed." Holding his hand out, he accepted the Pecha Berry from Pikachu and held it to Pidgeotto. "Here, eat this."

"Geo..." Pidgeotto complied and ate the berry. The effects of the poison were soon dealt with, but he was still feeling weak and tired. He gave his trainer another nuzzle in thanks.

Laughing a little, Ash patted him on the head. "You just rest for now, alright? You were great." He recalled Pidgeotto and glanced at the ball, frowning. He didn't like that he was unable to help him, and he even managed to get a momentary glimpse of Pidgeotto's feelings as he was dealing with the poison. "Sorry you had to go through that, pal."

"Ash?" Misty asked softly, noting that her friend was feeling really down.

"It appears as if this ability of yours can be a bit of a double edged sword." Koga observed. "We have already seen how useful it is, but now we see the negative aspect of it in that you can end up distracted by the discomfort of your Pokemon. However, you do seem to care about your Pokemon, and by being able to be closer to them in this way, you may end up understanding them better than most."

Ash gives a small nod at that. It was really uncomfortable whenever he 'linked up' to one of his Pokemon when they were dealing with some pain or discomfort. However, as Koga said, it honestly was something that allowed him to get closer to his Pokemon and understand them. He also sometimes 'linked up' during moments when they were feeling great and happy, so it wasn't something he would really want to get rid of.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he looked down at Pikachu. "You ready for this, buddy?"

"Chu!" Pikachu nodded, cheeks crackling with electricity. He was definitely ready to show this Crobat what he was made of, and to also do it for Pidgeotto as well. With a small hop, he got into position, looking up at the large, flying bat.

"Crobat's got a lot of speed to deal with, but we can be fast too. Pikachu, get close to it with Agility!"

"Pika!" Pikachu shot forward, leaving a few after images as he zigzagged along the path before leaping into the air at Crobat.

"Dodge and use Cross Poison." At Koga's command, Crobat disappeared from in front of Pikachu and reappeared behind him, wings crossed and about ready to launch the Poison attack.

Ash was ready for this move. "Spin around quickly and hit it with electricity from your tail!"

Twisting in the air, Pikachu sent some electricity to his tail and gave the Crobat a shocking slap to the head. "Chuuuuupika!"

The attack caused Crobat to pull back and lose its concentration on its own move as some electricity pulsed through it momentarily.

"Let's not give it time to recover! Unleash a powerful Thunder attack!"

Pikachu's cheeks crackled violently before his entire body lit up with electricity. "PIKAAAAAACHU!" He shouted as he unleashed a barrage of bolts into the air. The electricity gathered up above before it all began raining down towards the field.

"Dodge it, Crobat!" As it crashed down, Crobat attempted to dodge each of the bolts as it was commanded to. It couldn't keep it up, however, as it was finally hit by one of them and electrocuted. However, before Ash could let out a cry of victory, the bat Pokemon poofed into a cloud of smoke.

"Pika!" Pikachu stared in surprise.

"Substitution!" The blond yelled, recognizing the move easily. He was so sure that Thunder would have been able to do the trick. Looking around, he attempted to look for where Crobat would be coming from.

"Cross Poison." Crobat reappeared behind Pikachu, and this time, the attack connected, sending Pikachu flying forward.

Ash yelled out to his friend. "Pikachu! Are you alright?!" He watched as Pikachu managed to get up, but looked on in dismay as the electric mouse had managed to get poisoned by the move. It was a good thing that Erika had given him a stock of Pecha Berries, but he really wished that luck was on his side and that he didn't need them. Perhaps it was evening out from the sheer amount of luck he had in his battle against Sabrina?

"Look!" Misty shouted, pointing at Crobat. This caused everybody to direct their attention to the huge bat to see that it was suffering from paralysis, struggling to keep in the air.

Janine frowned. "It's paralyzed, but how did that happen?"

Brock had the answer. "Pikachu's ability is Static, which has a chance of paralyzing the opponent during a physical attack."

This caused a grin to spread across Ash's lips. Pikachu may be poisoned, but Crobat was paralyzed as well. "Pikachu, end this with a Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu nodded, giving a small wince. However, he managed to charge up his power and unleash a giant bolt of electricity towards his opponent. Even though Koga had yelled for it to dodge, it was unable to, and was hit dead on by the attack. Once it ended, Crobat fell to the ground unconscious.

"Crobat is unable to continue. The victor is Pikachu. This means that the winner of this gym match is Ashley!" Aya shouted, though she was clearly disappointed by the outcome.

"We did it!" Ash let out happily as he ran over to Pikachu, Pecha Berry in hand. He quickly handed it to his friend, who ate it quickly. "You did a great job, Pikachu. We won!"

Pikachu, no longer feeling poisoned, gave his traner a victory sign. "Pi-Pika!"

"Bududud!" Budew hopped up and down happily at seeing his trainer become victorious.

Before anybody could say or do anything else, the roof seemed to collapse, and after the dust settled, a raised curtain was visible.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Koga yelled in annoyance. He did not appreciate having parts of this ancestral ninja training grounds damaged.

A trio of voices could be heard from behind the curtain.

"It took you long enough to get ready!"

"I was in a hurry! Ow, stop that!"

"No excuses, you dingbats!"

Ash and the others, recognizing the voices, slapped their hands to their faces. Ash just stared in complete silence as the curtain pulled away to reveal Jessie and James dressed up as Kabuki actors and attempting to put a theatrical spin on their motto.

"Could you three knock it off and leave us alone? I just won a gym battle and was about to get my bade." Ash picked up Budew, who had ran up to him for safety when the Trio first crashed through the ceiling.

Jessie frowned in annoyance. "How rude. Do you realize how long it took us to realize you were coming to Fuchsia by the Cycling Road?"

"We ended up dealing with horrible pollution and sludge, and even a bunch of annoying Diglett and Dugtrio!" James yelled, rubbing his nose. "I think the stench is still lingering too!"

Meowth waved a paw. "Quit yer whining. We at least managed to send a bunch of those Grimer and that Muk to the boss!" Sure they were initially aiming for the Pokemon in the Pokemon Center, but netting a bunch of the sludge Pokemon was a victory.

Koga looked at Ash. "I take it that you know these clowns?"

"They're members of Team Rocket that we keep running into."

"Team Rocket?" Janine asked with a frown. "That organization is always causing problems."

Aya's hand clenched in anger. "You fools just broke the roof of this sacred mansion."

"Fools? Clowns? How dare you call a magnificent looking woman such as myself those names!" Jessie frowned as she tossed her Pokeball.

"Well, she at least has magnificent pride." James tossed his as well.

Ash and co. were expecting to see Ekans and Koffing, but were surprised to see a pair of different ones instead. "What are... did they-"

"Ekans and Koffing evolved!" Brock shouted.

Misty shrugged. "Guess they have some talent as trainers after all."

"Oh that's right, you weren't around to see the fruits of our effort." James motioned towards the Pokemon. "The old Ekans and Koffing are no more. Say hello to the new and improved Arbok and Weezing!"

"I don't care if they are new or old. I do not care for the presence of people from Team Rocket defiling this place." Koga glared, pulling out a Pokeball and giving it a toss. From out of the ball popped a Scyther.

Ash blinked at the Scyther, having seen one used by someone who challenged the Celadon Gym the other day. He looked down at Pikachu to see if he was able to help against the Trio, and nodded when Pikachu confirmed so.

Aya, meanwhile, tossed out a Venonat, and Janine tossed out a Nidorina.

"Looks like they're all ready to have a go at us." James observed, feeling a bit nervous.

Jessie shrugged and pulled out a jar of something sticky. "No matter; we have this covered."

Before anybody could make the first move, another combatant entered the fray, walking between both groups, resulting in everybody looking towards him in distraction. "Psy-ay!"

"Psyduck!" Misty yelled in annoyance, wondering how the platypus Pokemon managed to sneak on over as stealthy as he did. "Nobody needs you to get in the way of things!"

"Psyyyyyy" Psyduck just smiled to Misty and gave a motion as if saying 'Use me! I can do it!'

The redhead stared directly at Psyduck for a long moment before conceding. "... fine. What attacks can you do?"

"Wait..." Ash blinked, looking at his friend. "You don't know Psyduck's attacks yet?"

"And she made that crack about OUR talent as trainers." Jessie whispered to James, who shook his head and gave a tsk.

Misty growled. "Dealing with him just infuriates me, okay?! I just haven't gotten around to trying to deal with him yet because he doesn't listen all that well!" She glanced at the list of attacks on Ash's Pokedex that he provided to her. "Okay... Psyduck, use Water Gun!"

"Psy!" Psyduck turned to stare at Arbok and Weezing before opening his mouth and unleashing... a small stream of water that lands just short of hitting the two.

"Looks more like a Water Sprinkle." Brock muttered.

"... Chabo" Arbok just stared, and shared a look with Weezing.

Misty slapped a hand to her face. "See?!"

"Well it doesn't help that you're getting frustrated." Ash deadpanned as he looked between Misty and Psyduck. "Look, all I'm saying is that maybe you should try and spend some time actually working with Psyduck. Maybe he is frustrating, but you're supposed to be a Gym Leader and trying to become a Water Pokemon Master, right?"

"I..." Misty went silent in thought. Ash was right. She was a Gym Leader, and she did want to become a Water Pokemon Master. Not trying to spend time with Psyduck and figure him out was something that went against both of those aspects. "You're right, but look at him!" She motioned to the platypus, who was just standing there looking vacant.

"A Psyduck can be a hard Pokemon for a trainer to deal with sometimes, Miss." Koga glanced towards her. "Many trainers, even seasoned ones, can have trouble getting beyond their... eccentricities. However, once you do, you will find that they are capable Pokemon, as well as discover the powerful psychic powers that they can possess."

Misty blinked. "Psychic powers? That thing?"

"Enough of all this stalling nonsense!" Meowth shouted as he lashed out, kicking Psyduck over to Misty. "Let's hurry up and get this show on the road!"

"Psyduck, are you alright?" Misty asked as she picked him up. She noticed the small bump he had on the back of his head after hitting the floor, and tried to calm him down. "Now it seems like his headache is getting worse!"

"So what? Whatcha gonna do about it?" Meowth crossed his arms.

"Psy-ai-ai-ai!" Psyduck squirmed before staring directly at Meowth, eyes glowing blue. The cat, – as even Jessie, James, and their Pokemon – found themselves frozen in place.

Ash blinked and held out his Pokedex to figure out what the move was. "It's using Disable."

"This must be Psyduck's psychic power!" Brock announced.

The Pokedex spoke up. _"When Psyduck's headache gets too severe, it unleashes powerful attacks."_

"Meowth, look what you did!"

"How was I supposed to know, Jessie?"

Psyduck raised its arms, and Team Rocket soon found themselves being tossed off into the air with a shout! "Psyyyyyyy..." He soon calmed down, slumping a little in exhaustion.

Janine whistled in amazement. "That little guy sure does pack a hidden wonder."

Misty glanced down at her Pokemon as he fell asleep, giving it a gentle rub on the head. She had no idea Psyduck could do something like that, but if it took the poor thing getting a really bad headache to do such things, then she felt sorry for it.

"So... uh..." Ash looked around the area. "About the badge..."

"Dew!" Budew shouted.

* * *

Ash held the Soul Badge in his fingers as he and his friends followed Koga, Aya, and Janine lower into the mansion. "Fifth badge, fifth badge~ Just got three more to go. It's so awesome, isn't it Pikachu?" He already knew that his sixth badge would be the Rainbow, which only left him to figure out what other two, or even more, badges he would get before the Indigo Conference next year.

"Pika!" Pikachu smiled brightly, just as excited.

"Dew dew!" Budew was back to resting in Ash's bag.

"So where is it that you're leading us?" Misty asked as she looked around. The stairway was well lit, including the path they walked along. On either side of them were a few doorways leading to other rooms.

"As promised, I said that I would provide young Ashley here with some information in regards to what she is going through." They stopped at one of the doors, which Koga proceeded to open. As they stepped inside, Ash and friends would see that the room consisted of what appeared to be a library with many different old books and texts. "You should feel honored. Not many of those outside of my family clan and those we teach in ninjitsu get to lay eyes on this library."

Ash looked around, his nose twitching as he took in the various smells around him. It all smelled somewhat old and musty.

Brock was the one who answered. "It seems really old."

"This library collects a lot of manuals and texts." Janine grabbed a book. "Dad has managed to collect a bunch of them while growing up, and then there are things left here by grandpa, grandma, and many others."

Koga searched around for a moment before returning with a scroll. "Tell me, Ashley, have you ever heard of a group of people known as the Aura Guardians?"

The blond blinked and nodded. "I read about them in a history book. There wasn't much information about them." The book only really mentioned that there were a group of people capable of tapping into energy and used their abilities to protect peace. However, they ended up disappearing from history for some reason.

The Ninja Gym Leader nodded as he set down the scroll and opened it. Though there were smudges, the scroll seemed to talk a little more about the subject. "I've only managed to find bits and pieces about the subject, so most of it is lost in history. However, from what I have gleamed, the Aura Guardians could, obviously, tap into the power of Aura, which is one of the many forms of life energy that make up living things in the world."

Misty tilted her head. "So you think that-"

"According to some of the known information, those with the ability to control Aura are capable of using it to sense those around them, as well as the emotions and thoughts of others. They also possess the ability to 'see' Aura energy around them." Koga motioned his hand to the scroll. "Does this sound familiar to any of you?"

Ash nodded quickly, realizing that all of these things were weird occurrences that he kept experiencing. It actually excited him to know that he had these abilities that were really old and seemed to be lost in history. "So why can I use them?"

Koga shook his head. "That I do not know. Not much information in regards to the Aura Guardians of old is still in tact. Perhaps somewhere there a place that has the information. It is possible that you were just born with the ability to be in tune with the Aura. There actually are people out there who are occasionally born with some ability to feel it around them, but since it can be rather rare, all information that can be gleamed is few and far between." After all, besides those individuals, the only other beings known to have a good grasp of Aura were Lucarios, but even they probably didn't understand it well enough.

"... well, at least I finally know what it is I'm dealing with." Ash muttered. It wasn't really much to go on, but it was better than nothing.

Koga held something else out to Ash. It seemed to be a clear, see through crystal sphere with gold rim attached to a string, as if it were a necklace. "Perhaps this may be of some help to you as well." At the young trainer's confused look, he elaborated. "It is a channeling stone. It may be of use to you in helping you figure out your Aura. It is an excellent tool when used in conjunction with meditation."

"It's pretty." Misty looked it over.

Ash nodded and put the necklace on. As soon as he did, the inside gained a brief blue glow that swirled around within before disappearing. This didn't go unnoticed by Koga.

"By the way, is Erika expecting you to return any time soon?"

"Um... not unless she calls me and tells me to return all of a sudden. Why?"

"Because I would like it if you would stay around Fuchsia for a few days. I have never actually come across someone who has the capability of using their Aura like you do, and so I want to see if there is any way I can help you gain a better grasp on it." Not to mention learn more about it and actually see it first hand. Maybe he could figure out some secrets in regards to it.

"Stay around here for a bit?" Ash asked, looking around. If he stuck around for a little while, then maybe he could see some more ninja stuff, or even try to become a ninja as well! That could be fun, and trying to learn a little more about his... Aura would be useful. This was another Gym Leader offering to help him with something. "Sure! I can stick around for a few days. I just need to tell Erika."

Misty poked Brock with her elbow and whispered. "He's really popular with Gym Leaders, isn't he?" It was funny to say, considering the two of them were Gym Leaders as well.

Brock chuckled a little, but was soon next to Aya again in an attempt to flirt with her and ask her out. He was, however, pulled away by Janine, who was annoyed with his constant attempts to flirt with her aunt.

"Well then," Koga began, "I'm sure that my daughter will be delighted to have another young girl to spend some time with."

Before Ash could open his mouth, Janine was next to him with an arm around his shoulder. "New friend! C'mon, I wanna show you to my home. What kind of video games do you like? Do you like plants? Hey, if dad's going to help you train a little, then we should get you a training outfit!" The young Kunoichi seemed rather happy about this, much to the blond's embarrassment. This always seemed to happen to him for some reason.

* * *

Author's Notes: I feel as if the Team Rocket encounter got all kinds of muddled up and potentially deviated a little too far from the events in the Fuchsia Gym episode. Though at the same time, I'm also kind of content with it, because I felt like keeping it even more similar to the events of the episode would be boring and dull. I feel this chapter ended up alright, but not as great as the previous ones.

As a whole, I feel that Koga would potentially be one of the few people in Kanto to know anything about Aura, since the idea of his family line collecting various texts would make sense. However, since the Aura Guardians are rather old, most of the information is lost. At the same time, though, considering the existence of Riley, it's not too strange for there to occasionally be people who crop up from time to time with Aura Capability. However, since information is scarce, and these people are few and far between, figuring out more about Aura can be difficult.


	14. Rock Beats Scissors, Aura Beats Ninja

Celadon's New Blossom

At one point in time, before the ability to capture and easily train Pokemon, the Fuchsia Gym was simply known as the ancestral home of a family lineage of ninjutsu practitioners. Only those who were part of the family clan, or those who were specially invited, were allowed to safely step foot onto the premises.

Gradually, with the onset of the technology that allowed for humans to easily capture and transport a large number of these 'magical creatures', and the eventual structuring and creation of the Pokemon League, the ninja mansion was converted into the Pokemon Gym that it was now known as today. Of course, it still acted as a ninja training ground, which is why there were still a multitude of traps and secrets to be found within.

The problem with this, however, was that in turning the mansion into a gym, it also opened the doors for anybody and everybody to come and visit. This brought noise and broke the peace and tranquility, and so it was Koga's great grandfather who decided to build a separate home for his family away from what was now the Fuchsia City Gym.

The home, like the gym, was located on the outskirts of Fuchsia City within the dense forest that surrounded it. Those unfamiliar with the area would get lost easily in their attempts to locate the residence.

xo

Ash glanced around as Janine guided him on through the entrance of the home. The place reminded him a bit of Erika's home, mostly due to the fact that they were both traditional and old style homes. Oddly, even though Erika was the Grass Type specialist, Koga's home seemed to have a lot more greenery and garden work, especially with the amount of trees and small interconnecting ponds. Ash considered that maybe it was due to ninja requiring more of an atmosphere for meditation and practice.

"This place looks really nice." The blond finally said before looking back. Janine had practically dragged him out of the gym and over here, leaving Misty and Brock back with Koga. He wasn't even sure of the path they took getting here. "Right Pikachu, Budew?"

Pikachu nodded as he looked around in excitement. "Chu!"

"Ba!" The tiny plant Pokemon poked out of his backpack and looked around in awe.

Janine gave a wide grin. "Yeah, it's really amazing, isn't it?" She motioned around the location. "I was told that my great great grandfather built this place from the ground up to have a place for his family to live in peace." She turned and pointed off into the distance. "The best part of all is that we're really close to the Safari Zone."

"The Safari Zone?" Ash had overheard some trainers at Celadon mention the Safari Zone, but he never got around to asking where it was. "That's close to here?" His facial expression showed a degree of excitement at the inquiry.

"Yeah! Just a little ways that way." Janine always liked the fact that she lived close to the area that got designated as part of the Safari Zone. "Part of dad's duties is to patrol the area from the shadows to make sure that both trainers and Pokemon manage to stay safe!" She stepped into the shade of a tree as she said 'shadows' for emphasis. "You wouldn't believe the amount of stories he could tell about people nearly getting stomped on by herds of Tauros, or even angering some Rhydon or Kangaskhan."

Ash and Pikachu shared a wary look.

She grabbed Ash by the hand again. "C'mon! I wanna show you my room. I don't really get to bring many friends over!" Without waiting for an answer, she pulled the other trainer along behind her, regardless of his shouts for her to slow down.

* * *

Janine's room was decorated with various ninja-themed posters and memorabilia, which ranged from simple motivational posters to ones depicting animated and live action characters. Ninjutsu wasn't the only theme, however, as Janine did seem to have an interest in mixed martial arts, boxing, anime, and even wrestling. Her love of Poison types didn't go unnoticed either, and Ash gained the suspicion that Janine's favorite Pokemon might have been Toxicroak.

The young Poison type trainer's room also sported a small entertainment station with some game systems and a collection of games and DVDs. As Ash looked around the room some more, he would note a corner of the room held what seemed to be a vanity desk and mirror. However on the desk was a laptop computer with a few assorted books on top. There were a couple plush toys, one of which being a Koffing with a heart and ribbon on it instead of a skull and crossbones.

"So you said you're being trained by Erika in Celadon City?" Janine asked, plopping into a sitting position on her bed. "How long? What is she teaching you? Why did you decide on her? You could have chosen poison over grass." She clearly didn't care about keeping her biases hidden.

"Err- well..." Ash scratched his head, watching Pikachu hop down and move over to a Toxicroak plush to examine it. Budew, too, managed to gain some courage and follow the other Pokemon over to it. "Erika's really amazing, and I wanted to be a part of her gym the moment I saw her!" He made his eyes look all wide and innocent. "I had a battle with her, and she was impressed by my talent, and wanted to see if she could help them grow."

"Gym Leaders usually do have good eyes for spotting talent!" With what she and her father had witnessed earlier, Janine didn't doubt that the girl before her had managed to show Erika something interesting.

Ash nodded quickly, explaining how Erika has been focusing on things that work on teaching patience, as well as knowledge on plants and how to identify them. "I guess learning more about plants is the most important part or something."

Janine jumped to her feet. "Of course it is! Even shinobi need to go through learning about the plants they could find in the wild around them. If you don't know anything and end up eating or touching something deadly, then it's lights out." She made a slicing motion with her finger across her throat.

Nodding at that, Ash looked around the room again. It wasn't often that he found himself standing in someone else's room. In fact, except for stepping into Erika's room or his mother's room, he couldn't remember the last time he did so. As such, he was horribly out of his element and wasn't sure if he should sit down or not.

Janine noticed the blond's discomfort and placed a finger to her chin in thought. The girl was obviously shy about being alone with her, and likely unsure about what she should do. Granted, she didn't have much experience having someone in her room with her either, but there's always a first time for everything.

"Hey Ashley!" She suddenly shouted, causing the blond, Budew, and Pikachu to jump in fright. As Pikachu moved, the large Toxicroak plush he was examining fell forward and directly onto him. "Why don't we do something, huh? I mean, if my dad is going to help train you, then you gotta dress the part of a student!"

"Whaddaya mean? Isn't what I'm wearing good enough?" Ash asked, poking at his overalls. "It's not like I'm gonna stick around for long."

Janine crossed her arms, making a stern face. "No good! We need to dress you up in something appropriate, girl!" Her lips turned into a wide grin as she grabbed the other trainer by the wrist and dragged him over to the closet, ignoring his protests as she – much to Ash's surprise – managed to quickly and easily remove his clothes without too much effort.

"You're still so flat, Ashley! We're about the same age and I already started to develop, and nice oddish panties." Janine laughed mirthfully at the blushing blond, though the laughter soon came to a stop as she eventually realized that something was amiss as she stared at her new friend before her as 'she' tried to cover 'herself' up while blushing like a lighthouse.

"Wait a second..." Reaching, Janine grabbed one of Ash's hands and moved it out of the way. Her years of shinobi training allowed her to sense the most minute of details and see the unseen. Of course, this would also be the first time seeing a boy standing around in just underwear right before her, so she wasn't prepared for everything.

The young Kunoichi gave a surprised yelp as she jumped backwards with amazing grace and agility, tripping over the side of her bed and rolling across it before falling over the other side with a cry of surprise. Ash, meanwhile, stammered in outright embarrassment and worry as he tried covering himself. After a moment, both of them turned their heads and shared a look, neither of them really sure what to say or do at the moment.

On the bright side, Pikachu had wiggled free from his prison underneath the Toxicroak plush via the help of Budew. Though taking one look at the scene before him, he facepalmed and shook his head.

"You're a boy?!" Janine finally let out. She found this a bit hard to process at the moment. The other trainer before her could pass for a girl without much of an issue, yet it was clear that 'she' was really a boy. No wonder sh- he was so embarrassed about changing clothes. It was like like a scene from that one anime she saw where the protagonist finds out that a girl she knew was really a pretty boy. Not... that she actually WATCHED something like that, of course.

Ash just nodded, unsure of what to say in this situation.

"And Erika knows this?" There was another nod. "How... why..."

The blond finally found his voice. "Erika helped me discover this side of me." It was a story that both he and Erika had put together for if a situation like this ever happened. It did little to ease his embarrassment, but it was at least better than the trouble the truth could cause.

Janine had managed to pull herself back over to Ash, sitting on her knees across from him. "You mean you've always felt more like a girl, but was always embarrassed about the idea growing up?" Her eyes sparkled. "Did you dress up as a girl when you arrived at the Celadon Gym to challenge Erika?"

"I..." Ash was at a loss for words again. What was with this girl? And how did she guess that he did dress up? Though her accusation on him thinking he always felt more like a girl growing up was way off base. He couldn't really SAY that, though, since it kinda helped him here. "Erika found out, and then agreed to help me 'blossom' and find myself, as well as improve my skills as a trainer." A tinge of pink cropped up. "She also helped me with getting myself re-registered as female with the Pokemon League." That STILL embarrassed him to no end, making him realize just how deep in this he was.

"That's so cool!" Janine belted out. For a ninja, she sure could be excitable and loud. "Ah, well, I mean, not about not feeling right with how you were, but getting help from Erika in finding out your real self and actually going with it. You're super brave to go through such a huge change!" She hopped to her feet, grabbing Ash and quickly pulling him to his feet as well. "I bet you have a lot of help over in Celadon, since I hear that gym has a lot of girl trainers. Though maybe I can help you as well."

"Help me? What do you mean?"

"Weeeeeellllll, now that I think about it, you're not all that good at keeping your secret hidden. In fact, I bet dad and Aya already know. Well, dad probably does. I don't know about Aya. She's really good, but can miss the obvious at times." She thought on it for a moment before shaking her head. "Anyway, I bet I can help you learn how to carry yourself better! Aya could as well. It was waaaaay too easy for me to find out your secret, Ashley."

"... after you removed almost all of my clothes." Ash deadpanned.

"And it was super easy for me to do it, too! By the time you leave Fuchsia, you'll be more confident in your ability to carry yourself as a girl and keep attention where it matters!" Janine gave him a thumbs up. "Now, let's get you dressed up for training!" Internally, she was head over heels excited about being able to help such a boy blossom in femininity.

"Yeah, thanks." Ash muttered, looking to the side at Pikachu, who could only share a look.

Eventually, the blond would find himself standing before a mirror an examining the new outfit Janine had dressed him in. The ninja outfit consisted of a light pink sleeveless kimono tunic tied at the waist by an obi. Underneath was a sleeveless, black high neck shirt. A pair of arm length black fingerless gloves protected her limbs.

His leg wear was a pair of black pants, though the left pant leg was short and only went to his thigh. Instead, the rest of the leg was covered by a snug stocking. The boots he wore were sturdy with the right pant leg tucked into them.

Pikachu, meanwhile, was actually sporting a nice little blue scarf, and seemed to like it as he posed before the mirror.

Budew also had a scarf tied around the base of his bud

Janine tapped her chin as she looked Ashley over. "Well, how is that? I have several more outfits if you want to keep trying them out!"

"No! This is fine!" Ash spouted quickly, as he really didn't want to go through more dress up. As he looked at himself in the mirror, however, he couldn't keep himself from doing some poses. 'Ninja Ashley' had a bit of a fun ring to it, especially since he was going to get some training from a ninja as well.

"Say Ashley, how would you like to see some ninja techniques?" The answer Janine received was a quick and inevitable 'yes'.

* * *

"Wait, so you both knew about Ashley's secret?" Misty asked in surprise as she and Brock followed Koga and Aya to the entrance of their home. "I didn't think anybody could tell by just looking."

Koga nodded. "We are both seasoned ninja with years of experience. It is a ninja's job to know their way around disguises and subtle clues. Your friend does make a convincing girl in appearance, I will admit that."

"But the way she carries herself is what gives it away to those like us who can tell." Aya added, thankful that, for the moment, Brock stopped flirting with her. All it took was a simple statement of her not being attracted to children to get him to back off. Granted, it also caused him to react as if he had been hit in the gut by a bat, but that was of no concern to her. "So we can only assume this was a recent change."

Brock answered quickly. "Around the end of last month and beginning of this one after getting to Celadon."

"But even then, Ashley was always a little awkward. We were really surprised when we found out why." Misty added with a shrug, earning a slight look from Brock. It was, of course, a lie, but Misty couldn't resist the tease, even if Ash weren't there at the moment.

"I see." Koga could tell that was mainly just an excuse, but figured he wouldn't pry any more on the issue for now. Before leaving the mansion, he had made a quick call to Erika at the Celadon Gym to make sure that the story of Ashley being her student was correct, as well as a quick visit to the Pokemon League Rankings web site. He wasn't sure if he really believed the excuse that Misty was implying, but realized there was something about the boy that caused the Grass Gym Leader to decide to take him in and get him to go through such a life changing action.

Deciding to put it out of his mind for the moment, the Poison Pokemon trainer proceeded to open the front gate to allow the other two gym leaders to enter.

As soon as it was opened, they were treated to the sight of Ash showing off his... expertise at using the ninja rope.

"How did you even manage that?" Janine inquired with disbelief etched across her features. "I don't think I've seen many who are able to do something like that in such a short amount of time."

"It just... kind of happened that way?" Ash answered with a look of embarrassment and discomfort, for the young crossdressing trainer had managed to do what few have done. He had managed to get himself completely tangled within the rope, and was hanging above the ground from a tree branch.

"Now get me down from here, and stop laughing! You too, Pikachu!" His only saving grace was that the others weren't there to- oh, right, they were. With that, Ash could have sworn that he saw the last remaining fragments of his dignity floating away. "Uh... hey."

Koga hung back and watched as Misty and Brock couldn't keep themselves from bursting out into laughter over their friend's predicament, which only lead to said friend getting flustered and shouting back at them while swinging from the rope.

'Even the greatest of trainers can start out as inept rookies.' He had to try and rationalize to himself as he shook his head at the shenanigans before him.

* * *

The following day found Ash sitting on a tree stump as he listened to Koga detail the training method that they were going to be conducting in order to help guide him to gaining more control over his Aura. Around his neck was the spherical pendant he had received yesterday, and in his lap sat Pikachu.

"The most important thing at this moment in time is to work on harnessing this specialized sight of yours." Koga was certain that the child before him didn't grasp just how useful a skill such as that was. "To be able to locate and feel other living beings around you is an excellent ability for anybody to have, especially a Pokemon trainer."

"It makes me feel really disoriented though." Ash responded with a frown. "When it does happen, it's when I got my eyes closed, all I really see is black. There's a bunch of grey shapes, and a lot of vague blue lights or something."

"From the sound of things, it seems as if the ability is just unrefined. The 'blue lights' that you talk about are most likely the Aura and life energy of others around you. As you learn to hone this ability, it is likely that the shapes could become more coherent and refined." Of course, this was mainly speculation based off of the limited knowledge available, but Koga refused to believe that something like this couldn't be improved upon with practice. "At the very least, it would allow you to locate Pokemon easier."

It was that final statement which caused Ash to perk up. He liked finding and meeting new Pokemon, so if that was one of the things made easier from this, then he definitely wanted to work on fine tuning it. "Alright then, let's do this. It'll probably be fun, right Pikachu?"

"Chuuu" Pikachu nodded in response.

"Then let us get started." As if on cue, a small group of people dressed up in ninja outfits of various colors appeared. Most of them, to Ash, looked to be rather young, with a few younger than him. "Not only will this allow for you to get training in your skills, but it will allow these young ninja to get training of their own."

Ash and Pikachu glanced between them curiously. "Uh... who are they?"

"Members of my gym that are training in the art of ninjutsu, along with a couple younger students from a nearby ninja school that I visit from time to time." Koga's attention shifted as he took in both Ash and the group. "This will be good training for all of you. These students are in need of practicing their hiding and camouflage skills. Trying to find them will be a good test of your ability to track them with your Aura Sight. Any questions?"

One of the students raised her hand. "She's not even an actual ninja, is she? How could she even manage to find us when we've actually had training?" She had dark purple hair tied in a pair of hair buns. She looked towards the youngest students of the group. "Well... most of us anyway." This earned her some glares from the other students.

Koga shook his head. "Do not underestimate an opponent, Tani, for if you do, you may get blindsided for your ignorance." The girl, Tani, blushed at being called out like that. "I have all the reason in the world to assume that this young lady right here could find you all rather easily with a little practice. Those of you who manage to stay hidden until this is over will earn a special training session from me. Those who fail will have to deal with a week of cleaning duty at the Gym!"

Ash could feel the stares directed at him after that statement. The ninja students were clearly judging him with various levels of curiosity, not to mention determination. The girl that made the outburst earlier was looking highly incredulous. All the crossdressing trainer could do was scratch Pikachu on the ear in silence.

"Now, I want you all to hurry up and hide. Ashley will stay here and wait about a minute. This should all give you enough time to vanish. Move out!" With that, the young group of ninja in training ran off and disappeared. When they were out of ear shot, the poison trainer turned his attention back to Ash. "I do hope you don't mind that I put you on the spot like that. I felt as if they all could use some more motivation. It certainly can be a hassle to teach the art of ninjutsu to the youth of today."

Shaking his head quickly, Ash composed himself and tried to relax. "It's fine! I don't mind." However, since he still wasn't all that sure about how he could get his Aura Sight to work, he had a few small doubts. The doubts were pushed aside, though, when he thought about that kunoichi named Tani. That definitely wasn't someone he wanted to lose to. He'd definitely show her.

"Just remember to try and clear your mind and relax. Your Aura Sight may soon follow." Koga turned his attention to his watch. "Now, I believe it is time for you to get going. You have some ninja to find, and I have a gym that could use some good cleaning!"

* * *

Bushes rustled as a small figure made its way through the brush, feet snapping a few twigs as it went. They were thoroughly lost within the unfamiliar forest, and it was aggravating to even admit that. All the figure knew was that the target they were after was located somewhere within this forest. They just didn't know where. Finally poking a head out of some foliage, the light through the trees revealed the owner to be none other than Scrafty.

After having been humiliated by a certain blonde haired 'girl', and being kicked away by the Pinsir that was formerly his boss, Scrafty had tried to find somewhere else he could belong. However, each time he attempted to assert himself, something would keep going wrong, sending him all the way back to square one.

Almost being captured at various points didn't help matters either. He was a rare sight in this region, and so was bound to attract a bunch of humans wanting him. After a little while, he decided it was time to seek out that blonde human and her Primeape and get a little revenge. It didn't take long to figure just where she was, but by the time he got to Celadon, she was already leaving with some friends. As such, he decided to tail behind.

Briefly, Scrafty glanced at the bicycle he was dragging behind him. He wouldn't have been able to keep up at Cycling Road if it wasn't for the charitable young trainer that... loaned him their bike. He wasn't even really sure why he was still lugging it with him.

His musings were cut short by the sound of a familiar voice that prompted him to peek through the bushes again. There, near a fallen log, was the object of his search. The blonde kid and her Pikachu were conversing with each other about... something, and he watched as she closed her eyes and stood in place for several moments before turning and pointing up in a tree and shouting.

From within the tree, a young human hopped down, and Scrafty could tell there was a look of surprise on his face at being caught. This confused the hoodlum Pokemon, for he wasn't sure how the girl could spot someone with her eyes closed. Was she psychic? Did she have enhanced senses? Whatever the case, he watched as she conversed with the surprised ninja.

Watching these actions for a while, and even following closely within the bushes, He watched the girl find several more ninja in their hiding spots. After a few more moments, he braced himself and decided that this was his chance to leap out and finally confront the girl. He'd have his revenge, and would show her just how strong and amazing he was! She and her Pikachu would bow at his feet for forgiveness, and that Primeape would learn who it was that was truly to be feared.

For some reason, in his mind, he also imagined himself dressed in a crown and cape. Those thoughts were quickly washed away as he glanced at the bike next to him. He didn't need that thing any more, and it was probably best to get rid of it. Reaching out, he snatched up the bike and hefted it over his head. Then, with a show of strength, tossed it off into some bushes.

… where there was a sound of pain and a low growl as a giant Ursaring rose up from the brush, holding onto the massive bump on its head and glaring daggers at the other Pokemon. Baring his teeth, it stalked on over to Scrafty, tossing out curses over being attacked by a heavy hunk of metal and wheels.

Scrafty, for his part, was sheepish at causing the accident, but his pride wouldn't allow him to reveal that. If he admitted to any wrong doing, it would go against his image that he created. As such, he just gave the bear Pokemon an impassive look and a shrug, which only egged the Ursaring on. Then, it jumped at him, and Scrafty responded with a jump kick to its chin!

The bear flew backwards and slammed into a tree, where it slid down and collapsed into the brush. Scrafty clapped his hands as if removing some annoying dust, glad to be finished with that. His thoughts were short, however, as a low buzzing announced itself. Looking at the tree, he soon realized that his antics had disturbed a hive of Beedrill.

The Ursaring hadn't been a problem, but the mess of hornets? That could be a bit of a problem in more ways than one. As such, there was only one solution to this confrontation, and he really hated to do it. Steeling himself, he gave a lazy look at the drill-armed bugs and proceeded to do what was best.

He turned and ran away.

* * *

Pikachu's ears perked upwards as he turned to look towards the brush. His head tilted sideways at the sight of a swarm of Beedrill chasing after something he couldn't really make out. Whatever it was, he was glad that neither he nor Ash were the ones in their sights. Beedrill were the worst to deal with when they were swarming.

A tug on his tail made him turn to look at Budew, who was using his bud to grab onto the electric Pokemon's tail and play with it. Giving the grass type a bright smile, he lifted up his tail and swished it about, causing Budew to hop about giving chase. Pikachu was quick to catch him, however, when he almost tripped over a tiny rock.

"Dew!" Budew let out happily before hopping back onto his feet and going after the electric rodent's tail some more. It was likely due to the surrounding forest that he was feeling a little more outgoing and playful. However, even with his slightly more outgoing demeanor, he still preferred to stick close to Pikachu for safety when he couldn't stick to Ash.

Speaking of Ash, the trainer in question was massaging his temples as he sat on a tree log after finding the latest ninja student. Trying to keep his Aura Sight going for so long was giving him a bit of a headache. Thankfully, a little relaxation seemed to be helping. "How many more do we need to find, Pikachu?" He lost track. Actually, he didn't even know how many there were to start. He at least knew they were still missing that girl from earlier.

Pikachu blinks and thinks for a moment how many? With a look of embarrassment, he scratched his head and put together how many more they needed to fined. "Chu pi!" He held up a finger.

"Hrm..." Ash glanced around and closed his eyes. Actively tapping into his Aura Sight was getting easier the more he practiced, and he was now able to do so within a few seconds of concentration. It was keeping it going for an extended period of time without eventually dealing with a headache that was the issue.

Whenever he tapped into it, he was always bombarded by a smorgasbord of auras in the surrounding area. Not only any possible humans, but also the various Pokemon and animals that lived in the vicinity. Picking one aura out of all of those was hard work, though he was gaining the hang of figuring out a human aura from other kinds. It just ended up getting drowned out by everything else.

Taking a deep breath, Ash placed his hand around the aura pendant Koga provided him. As he focused, the pendant glowed faintly and began to help in enhancing his sight beyond his normal range and into a bit of a wider radius around the forest. However, to his dismay, there were several human-shaped signals milling about the place. He could also see back at Koga's gym where he and the others were- wait a second. Something seemed a bit off about the reading he was getting.

* * *

Sitting back on a bean bag chair, Tani popped open a can of soda. She was certain she had the perfect hiding spot. She had managed to observe the blonde girl earlier and noted how she had some strange ability to sense out others with her eye closed. It was unfair, really, and sounded a lot like cheating. She knew that if she stayed hidden in around there, she would have been spotted eventually. She was a ninja with a few years of training and hard work. There was no way she'd let some blonde newbie show her up.

Briefly poking her head out of the small entrance would reveal that Tani was hiding in a cave on the cliffside under the Fuchsia Gym. It was a little dangerous to get to from the outside cliff, and the cave system was a bit confusing to figure out, but it was a nice and quiet place that most wouldn't think to look. This allowed her to have a spot all to herself that she could just relax at without worrying about others. She'd like to see the newbie find her here.

"Whoa, you have a really nice setup in here!"

Tani swiveled around in an instant at the voice, only to see said 'newbie' looking over her stuff. The Pikachu was sniffing her can of soda, and the Budew was poking at a box of snacks with its foot. "H- how did you get here?! Those caves have a large number of winding turns and paths! How did you even know I was down here?!"

"Followed your scent!" Ash blurted out, grabbing a bag of chips. "Hey, you don't mind if I have a bag, right? I'm hungry after all that searching. Thirsty too." He didn't wait for an answer; he just started right in. "It was all over the cave."

Tani's mouth opened and closed a few times. Followed her scent. "E- excuse me? Are you saying I smell?!"

"Do you?" The blond asked with a hint of confusion, though quickly realized his error. "What? No, wait! I didn't mean that. I mean I just followed your... um..." He wasn't sure what to call it. All he knew was that there was a vague trail throughout the cave. "Well I dunno what to call it. What matters is that I found you."

Tani just leaned back against the cave wall, feeling defeated. This... blondie had to have cheated in some way. This weird skill of hers was clearly cheating! But then, Koga knew all about it and was even encouraging it, so was it really cheating? Or maybe it was a lesson to show them how fresh they still were. Whatever the case, she didn't like it at all.

"... who are you, anyway?" She finally asked, looking directly at the blonde, who was just helping 'herself' to her snacks.

Ash glanced back at her. "Hm? Oh! I'm Ashley Ketchum from Pallet Town. This is my buddy Pikachu." He motioned towards the electric rodent, who waved back with a bright smile. "And this is Budew. I just hatched him recently." Budew hid close to him and Pikachu, giving a shy wave with his bud.

Tani waved back to the Pokemon. The Budew was definitely cute. "So what, are you a new student at Koga's gym?" If so, then she definitely had a rival to upstage. There was no way she could let this upstart get away with bruising her ego like this.

"Koga's just helping me with something." Ash shook his head. "I'm a student of Erika's back in Celadon. I came here to get the Soul Badge." He pulls out his badge case and shows Tani the five badges he's obtained so far. "I'm working to become a Pokemon Master!"

His cave companion raised an eyebrow as she glanced at the badges, and felt a little disappointed that the blonde wasn't a student of Koga's, which meant that the 'girl' wouldn't be around for much longer to allow her the satisfaction of defeating her. She found that to be a bit disappointing. However, there was the other thing "Erika? That's the Grass-type Gym Leader, right?"

Thinking it over, Tani's lips turned into a smirk. "Poison trumps Grass any day. Maybe you can use whatever weird abilities you have to find me, but I doubt you could defeat me in a Pokemon battle with Grass types alone."

"What did you say?!" Ash yelled before he could catch himself, sitting up straight in the bean bag. "Just because Grass is weak to poison does not mean that it'll always lose to it! There's other factors involved in a battle besides type advantage and disadvantage!" He quickly managed to remember some of the advice and tips that Erika had taught him. "I guess Koga ain't teaching you right if you don't know that. Or maybe you stink at being taught." Score one for foot in mouth disease.

Tani jumped to her feet. How dare this blondie insult her like that. "I'm great at learning! I'm the best ninja of my group! How about we settle this Grass vs Poison thing once and for all? Whatcha got on your side?"

Opening his mouth to answer back, the blonde stopped upon realization. His excitement turned into sheepishness. "I... uh... only have Budew and Bulbasaur as Grass types, and Budew only recently hatched."

"That's all? Ha! And both of those are part Poison, so a battle would prove nothing like that." Feeling minor vindication, the ninja sat back down. "Maybe you should come at me when you actually have more Grass types that aren't part poison."

A frown graced Ash's lips, but he gave a nod in agreement. He couldn't do it now, but he would so show her who the better trainer was eventually. He just needed some more Grass types of his own to do it.

A silence persisted within the cave for what seemed like ages. Just as they were about to break it, Koga's voice boomed into the cave. "TIME IS UP! It is time for everyone to meet back at the gym!"

Jumping, the cave-dwellers turned their attention to Koga, who was hanging upside down just outside the cave entrance. Curious as to how this was possible, Ash and Tani poked their heads outside to see that his feet were being held by spider silk, which was held in place by a webbing created by Ariados that stretched from one side of the small chasm to the other.

It took several short seconds, but Tani finally realized something. She had definitely been found by the newbie, and she remembered exactly what the penalty for being found was. "Damn it!" She shouted, holding her hands to her head. "Now I'll have to clean the dang Gym!" Her shout echoed throughout the cave system, causing some Zubats to scatter.

As she fell to her knees, Tani noticed a hand reaching out. Glancing up, she saw that it belonged to Ash. "Whaddaya want? Gonna gloat about your victory?"

"I could, but nah." He gave her a bright smile. "I was going to ask if you want me to help you clean. Though if you want me to leave, I can just-"

"Thank you!" The ninja grasped onto the blond's hand with both of hers, eyes sparkling with hope. "Cleaning is the worst, so yeah, I'd like your help!" Maybe this newbie wasn't so bad after all? She had to know how blondie managed to find her, though. Maybe then she could prepare for it.

* * *

A ways away from the group, within a pristine lake, a pair of eyes shone strongly. It had sensed the spike of Aura from the young Pokemon trainer, and watched him out of curiosity as he went about his task. There was something... intruging about this trainer, and it hoped they would meet soon.

The eyes, belonging to a Dragonair, were interrupted by the nose bump belonging to one of its children, who was feeling rather playful at the moment. Smiling gently, the serpentine Pokemon nuzzled the Dratini.

XxA.

After around six months, I finally managed to finish this chapter. Sorry for the delay. I had so much trouble working on it due to burn out, and then just losing focus every time I tried getting back to it.


	15. Let's Go On A Safari

Celadon's New Blossom

"Are you sure you have to leave so soon?" Janine's features displayed a rather immature pout as she crossed her arms, staring at the friend that she had recently made just a few days ago. "You could stay a little longer and do some more training. There's so much more I could teach you!" She blinks. "Oh, and my dad could teach you some more stuff as well, I guess."

Koga's lips twitched as he glanced towards his daughter. "Your enthusiasm in my teachings is noted."

Scratching the back of his neck, Ash responded back with a bit of a sheepish look. "Thanks, but I don't think the ninja life is for me. I've got other things to do, but it was fun." Not to mention exhausting and somewhat painful. His butt still smarted from falling out of that tree. "And thanks again for helping me with my Aura." The blond let out, looking up at Koga.

Next to him were Misty and Brock, the latter of which glanced at Aya, but seemed rather despondent over the fact that she thought of him as just a kid. On Ash's shoulder sat Pikachu, and within his bag was Budew nibbling on a berry.

"Think nothing of it, Ashley." The ninja responded with a curt nod. "It was a pleasure to get some first hand experience in actually dealing with Aura, though I apologize that I couldn't help you beyond the small amount of understanding that I myself had."

Misty piped up. "A lot more than Ash had when we first got here. You weren't there to see him walking around like a goofball after that flash-bang trap." This earned a glare from the blond in question.

"Like the water dork said," this time it was Ash who received a glare, "I wouldn't have even known about the whole Aura thing if it weren't for your help." It was still rather overwhelming to the young trainer, but he could now manage to focus his senses to allow him to actively tell if there was anything living around him. Though in a location such as a forest, signals were all over the place, and he still had work to do with being able to separate just what was what.

Brock placed his hands on both Ash and Misty's heads to keep them focused away from each other's throats. "Do you think there's more information on Aura out there somewhere?"

Koga nods. "Most assuredly so. The main problem is that there are documentations out there on the study of Aura usage in Pokemon, but most of the information on Aura using humans is harder to find. However, I have heard that the town of Rota has some ties to an ancient knight that was said to have used Aura."

"Rota?" Ash asked. There was something about that name that rang some bells, and it was more than likely due to having seen it in one of the history books that made mention of the lost Aura Guardians.

"It's a town located to the very north of Kanto and in the mountain ranges above Mount Silver and near the border to the Johto region." Koga emphasized by pointing north. "If you ever find yourself in that area, you should see if you can take a look."

Ash nodded and made a mental note of it. Hopefully he'd be able to do just that someday. For now, though, it was a bit too far to really worry about, and he also didn't feel like dealing with a bunch of mountains. "I'll keep that in mind." Reaching up, he gives Pikachu a scritch on the ear before checking on Budew.

"Oh! Ashley, hold on a second." Janine quickly pulled out her own phone, and the two friends proceeded to share their contact information. "There we go. Now we can keep in touch with each other." She lets out a big, toothy grin. "After all, I'm sure us gal pals still have a lot to talk about, and I wanna hear more of what training under a Grass type Gym Leader is like. Also, if you ever need some tips on Poison types, I'm your girl." She provides a thumbs up before giving the blond a quick hug.

Ash gives a small wiggle and blush at the hug, but returns it. Dealing with this kind of contact could still be a little embarrassing. "Thanks, and I'd like to hear about how your training is going also. You gotta tell me sometime if you manage to perfect that technique! It sounds cool."

Misty snrks a little at the 'gal pals' statement, and how Ash didn't seem to react to that. Her attention shifted to Aya and the question that the kunoichi tossed their way.

"So where is it that you three are headed next?"

"The Safari Zone." Brock had managed to compose himself. "We were talking about it, and thought that it'd be a good place to visit before heading back to Celadon." He could also always take another trip to Scissor Street and see what Suzie was up to, and maybe even get some more breeding tips.

"That's not too far from here." Aya motioned in a direction. "Though you'll have to go around a bit, because there's a fence surrounding the preserve that's used to protect the Pokemon inside from poachers trying to sneak in."

After getting the proper directions from Aya, the traveling trio bid farewell to Koga and his family and started on their way to their next destination. After a few moments of travel, the sound of Ash's phone could be heard, notifying the youth that he had obtained a text. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled the mobile device out and glanced at the screen.

"Who's it from, Ash?" Misty asked. Pikachu, meanwhile, was attempting to get a peek. Budew was fast asleep in the bag.

"It's from Sabrina." The blond answered, typing quickly. "She wanted to tell me that a new ice cream shop opened up, and was wondering if I'd like to go with her sometime soon." He turned his attention to Pikachu. "How about that, buddy? Visit Sabrina later and try some refreshing ice cream?" He could definitely go for some.

"Pika!" The electric mouse nodded vigorously. He definitely liked the cool treat.

"Maybe I'd like some ice cream too." Misty muttered, clearly not jealous in any way at all. Brock nodded as well. Though more from the fact that he was kind of jealous that Ash seemed to have it so easy with getting close to pretty girls.

"I **guess** I could see if Sabrina wouldn't mind if a spoiled brat tagged along." Ash responded with a smirk. Before Misty could make a rebuttal, he got another text, which caused him to audibly groan out.

"What did it say?" Brock asked as he and Misty got closer.

"Nothing!" The blond attempted to hide the phone behind him.

Misty got even closer, a look of mischief and curiosity etched upon her features. "Oh c'mon _**Ashley**_. We're your friends. You can't blame us for that." She tried spinning around the boy to grab the phone, but he lifted it up, using his other hand to keep her at a distance.

"Sorry, it's personal!" The young boy wasn't paying attention, however, and so the phone was placed directly in reading view of Brock, who read the text off.

"I also acquired a bunch of new outfits, and think we could have a lot of fun playing dress up." The Rock type trainer's eye twitched. "Why do you have to have all the luck, Ash?! Being able to be close to so many pretty girls. You're living every red-blooded man's dream!" Tears flowed from his eyes as his fist clenched.

"..." Ash just remained silent and blushed as Misty started to laugh her ass off. Pikachu, too, couldn't help but give a tiny laugh as he patted his trainer on the head with a small hand. "You too, Pikachu?" It was going to be a long trip.

oooooo

Eventually, the small group found itself on the outskirts of a ranch that rested along the path they were taking. It appeared to be nicely sized, and they could see a good number of Pokemon and animals roaming the fields, with various ranch hands tending to the creatures.

"It's huge!" Ash let out as he took in the sight. "And look at all of those Pokemon." He watched as a few herders worked on a round up in the distance. "What's this place called?"

"The Laramie Ranch." Brock let out, pointing as his companions glanced at him. "It says on that sign over there." Sure enough, there was indeed a sign that displayed the ranch's name.

"Oh" Both Ash and Misty responded at once, wondering how they both missed it.

A faint rustling from some nearby bushes caught Pikachu's attention. The electric mouse's ears twitched, and he proceeded to hop off of his trainer's shoulders and move over to the shrubbery. "Pi?"

"What is it, Pikachu?" Ash asked, before promptly realizing, too, that there was something within. He slowly made his way over to the spot and knelt down next to his buddy, accompanied by a curious Misty and Brock. "What do you think is in there?"

Misty poked him on the forehead. "You're the one with supernatural senses. Can't you just use it to tell what it is?"

The blond huffed in response, his cheeks turning a little red. "Hey, it's still new to me, okay? It ain't like it's a one-step problem solver if I don't know what I'm looking for." He did discover that with practice, he could memorize certain auras that would lead to him being able to identify targets. At the very least, he had managed to make a mental 'log' of Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Budew, and his other Pokemon's signatures, and could identify the shapes of certain Pokemon he was aware of.

"And I haven't seen this Aura shape before." Though as he studied the aura, the shape soon became a bit more clear. "But I think it might be-"

Before he could even finish, the creature within the bushes exploded outwards, smacking right into Ash's face, and causing the two to go tumbling backwards.

"Pikapi!"

"Ash!" Misty and Brock called out in unison as they and Pikachu ran on over to check on their friend.

"Dew?" Budew poked his head out of the bag, wondering what all of the commotion was about.

Groaning and rubbing his face, Ash rested upon his back as what could only be described as a yellow blob of wool clung to his chest. Shaking his head, it took a moment for Ash to get a better look at the blob, only to see a sheep-like face belonging to it.

"Maaaa…" The creature let out, seemingly embarrassed and apologetic. There were leaves and sticks stuck within its wool, which crackled lightly of static and caused some of Ash's hair to stick up.

Brock was the first to say something. "It's a Mareep!"

"It's so cute!" Misty added, eyes sparkling. "Its wool looks so soft!" She reached a hand out to touch it, but a bit of static crackled against her finger and caused her to wince and pull back. "Maybe some other time."

"Thought so..." Ash groaned out as he sat up, pulling out his Pokedex. One of the girls back at the gym had given him a plush Mareep, not to mention the Pokemon was a rather common sight in stories and farms.

" _ **Mareep, the Wool Pokémon. Mareep stores static electricity in their wooly coat. They avoid battle and have mild dispositions. Its fleece grows continually. In the summer, the fleece is fully shed, but it grows back in a week."**_

The Mareep wobbled about. Despite what the Pokedex said, there was something a bit off.

"I don't think it shed yet." Brock knelt down next to the sheep as Pikachu attempted to converse with it. The wool seemed to cover quite a bit of it, and looked to even threaten to try and cover its eyes as well.

The approach of a feminine voice caught their attention. "You'd be right in that there assessment." Turning towards the owner of the voice, the small group would see a young woman with light blue hair tied in a loose ponytail. She wore a simple light green polo shirt and a pair of blue shorts. Accompanying her were a Ponyta and a Growlithe.

The Growlithe in question quickly shot off from her side, charging at the Mareep, which let out a loud bleet before running off back into the ranch with the puppy Pokemon hot on its heels.

The girl walks a little closer towards them. "Sorry about the trouble there. That particular Mareep has trouble shedding its own wool, but is also really squeamish about being sheered and tries to run every chance it gets."

Before Ash or Misty could open their mouths, Brock was way ahead of them, attempting to work his charms on the young woman. "Oh, don't worry about that! There was no harm done at all. It was a pleasure to meet such a cutie… and that Mareep was adorable as well. What's your name? I'm Brock"

The woman was slightly taken aback by his sudden approach. "Err- Lara Laramie." In response, her Ponyta snorted and flared its fiery mane. "Whoa, easy there Ponyta. It's fine." She ran a hand along its side, shushing it gently. The flaming equine's mane soon settled back down, and it gave the woman a soft nuzzle.

"Ah, sorry." Brock rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, a bit ashamed at spooking the Ponyta like he had. "Ah, wait, Lara Laramie? Of the Laramie clan? It's a pleasure to meet you! I've read all about how the Laramie family are amazing breeders. You raise them in the wild and-"

Misty's hand shot out and pinched Brock's side to reel him in. "Your Ponyta is so lovely." She finally said as she watched it nuzzle the woman. "Sorry about our friend here. I don't know HOW he got off of his leash." She gave the breeder a momentary glare, causing him to return a sheepish look. "I'm Misty."

Ash nodded along. "I'm Ashley." He had actually witnessed a challenger at the Celadon Gym use a Ponyta against Erika once, and was amazed by the speed and agility that it showed in battle. Not only that, but the Pokemon could really jump. As the blond glanced between the flaming horse and its owner, he couldn't help but notice something that caught his attention. "Hey, what happened to your arm?"

Lara glanced down at her arm, which was wrapped in a sling. Her expression turned sombre, which was even mirrored by her Ponyta. "Oh, this? I was riding on top of Ponyta to try and calm a herd of Tauros, but Ponyta got spooked and accidentally knocked me off. I hurt my arm." She let off a deep sigh. "My injury prevented me from taking part in the race."

Ash was quick to respond. "Race?"

The woman nodded. "We of the Laramie ranch frequently race to see who has the best Pokemon. I was looking forward to the race so that I could show what Ponyta was made of." Her expression turned hard. "I'm pretty sure it was due to foul play, but I can't prove it."

Brock's brow furrowed. "Foul play? Who would even do such a thing just for a race?"

As if by some kind of cue, a young man made his way on over to the group atop a Dodrio. A smug look was plastered upon his features, which reminded Ash way too much of his rival Gary. "Howdy Lara. I see you've met some new friends. That Mareep is safe and sound and ready to be sheered."

"Oh- thank you Dario." Lara answered rather tersely, clearly not fond of being in his presence.

Ash pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at the Dodrio.

" _ **Dodrio, a three-headed Bird Pokémon that can run faster than it can fly. Its three heads represent joy, sorrow and anger. It has three sets of hearts and lungs as well, so it is capable of running long distances without rest."**_

"You're not still sore over me winning the race yesterday, are ya?" He wagged a finger at her. "Tsk tsk, Lara. Being like that ain't sporting. I won that race fair and square."

Lara's grip on Ponyta's reins tightened. "That's what you say, but what about those three shady characters that were bumming around with you? Whatever happened to them?"

"Three shady characters?" Misty asked, causing the trio and Pikachu to glance at each other. It couldn't be… could it?

"'Taint nothing shady about about them. Just some friends I made I was hanging with." He proceeded to point behind him. "As for whatever happened to them? Well, they're just leaving now is all."

Glancing in the direction that Dario had pointed, Ash and co could only watch in surprise as what appeared to be Team Rocket's balloon floated off into the distance. Not only that, but they could have sworn they were able to hear the overly loud sound of mirth and celebration despite being a distance away.

"That was Team Rocket!" Ash shouted, pointing.

"Pika!" Pikachu's cheeks crackled.

Lara blinked at them. "Team Rocket? Those three? You mean like that criminal organization Team Rocket?" How did she not place two and two together? Well, maybe it was because the uniforms were white instead of black, and they weren't exactly the most… menacing people. "Dario!" She shouted, turning to glare at the man in question.

Dario waved a hand dismissively. "You still can't prove I did anything wrong, Lara. They appeared and offered help in exchange of some food and money. However could I, the humble Dario, turn down some helping hands?"

Within his resting spot, Budew wasn't quite sure what was going on. However, he knew that everybody seemed annoyed at the guy on top of the large three-headed bird Pokemon. Maybe he could help help a little?

Noticing a movement out of the corner of his eye, Ash glanced down at his youngest Pokemon just in time to see him open his bud and release a small stream of Stun Spore that drifted over and around the Dodrio.

The three-headed bird gave off a loud yelp of surprise as the paralysis took effect and caused it to panic. "Whoa, what's going on, Dodrio?!" Its rider shouted out as it thrashed about some, but came to a quick and abrupt halt. It was in this abrupt halt that Dario was tossed off and onto the ground. More specifically, he landed on his arm.

"My arm!" The young man shouted out in pain as he sat up, holding it. He glanced at his limb in shock, and then to his Dodrio, and finally towards Ash and his Budew as it closed its bud. "Girl, do you have any idea what your Pokemon did?! Do you realize how important I am?!"

Ash waved his arms quickly. "It was an accident!"

"Budew is still really young!" Misty added. "It didn't know what it was doing."

"Pika!"

Brock nodded quickly. "It was probably just confused by all of the animosity."

Dario wasn't placated. "You can't weasel your way out of this! I'm part of the Laramie clan now. I'm important! Lara, help me deal with these kids." He proceeded to get to his feet, clearly not happy. However, he was confused when Lara gave him a small push. "What are you doing?"

"We got more important matters to deal with instead of getting furious at infant Pokemon, so grow a backbone. We gotta get that arm examined to make sure it isn't broken." She started guiding a furious Dario away as Ponyta and Dodrio – still feeling some paralysis issues – followed. The young woman turned her attention towards the group and mouthed a small 'thank you'. It wasn't quite the revenge she would have wanted, but it was definitely sweet.

The small group let out a breath that they didn't know they were holding. For a moment, they thought they were in some big trouble, which was not something that they really needed.

Pulling Budew out of the bag, Ash held him in his arms. "You really shouldn't do stuff like that. You could have got us in big trouble."

"Dew?" The rose bud Pokemon seemed a bit confused, and grew a little sad at being told off like that. He gave a small sniff as if he was going to cry.

"H- hey now, don't start crying." The blond let out quickly. "I mean, I'm glad that you wanted to help, and you did a good job." The praise caused the impending waterworks to subside. "But you can't just do that. I mean, you can if we're in danger, but not during stuff like that. I mean, um..."

Brock picked up the subject. "What Ash means is that if you feel that there is danger that could hurt us, then you can do that. You shouldn't just do it simply because people are angry."

"That's right!" Misty gave Budew a small tickle, causing him to laugh. "But you did a good job anyway, and things worked out."

"Chupi!"

Budew gives a wide smile. Next time he gets to hang out with Bulbasaur, he'll have to tell the other Pokemon how good he's gotten at using his powder moves. "Bud!"

oooooooo

"Hey! I think we're almost at the Safari Zone!" Ash shouted as the group made their way down the path. "That didn't take all that long at all."

"I wonder if there are any exotic water Pokemon there."

"Hey," Brock spoke up. "I think there's a car coming this way."

Sure enough, there was a vehicle slowly driving down the path. The group stepped to the side, and could see that it was a rather fancy red convertible with quite a few people riding inside. For Ash, something felt rather familiar about it, and it was only as it came closer that he fully realized why.

"It's Gary! What's he doing here?"

"He must have visited the Safari Zone as well." Misty supplied.

This caused Ash to go into a bit of a panic. "Don't let him see me!" If he were alone, then he wouldn't be panicking as much, since he had managed to be face to face with the other boy once before. However, now, he was with Misty, Brock, and Pikachu, and Gary knew he was traveling with them thanks to the encounter at Aopulco in Porta Vista.

Instead of driving passed them right away, the car came to a stop. "Hey," Gary announced, "if you're heading for the Safari Zone, watch out. The guy in charge is a real gun-happy basket case." His cheer squad could be heard making various comments about 'crazy' and 'scary'. "Just doing my civic duty of being such a helpful guy by warning others to keep safe- hey, wait, I know you." He pointed towards Ashley.

"Ah, you do?" The blond asked, fiddling with his puffy hat rather nervously. Pikachu, Misty, and Brock were also a bit on edge over this.

"Yeah, you're the girl that sold me the perfume."

"She's the one?" One of the girls in the car asked, eyes wide. "That perfume was, like, the best! Thank you so much."

"She's really cute." Another girl spoke out.

"I love those Luvdisc overalls."

Ash couldn't help but blush and rub the back of his head at the compliments he was getting from the girls. It may have been embarrassing to be called cute and constantly be seen as a girl, but at the same time he couldn't help but feel an inflated sense of pride over it.

Brock, meanwhile, once again found himself with a feeling of despair over Ash getting so much attention from the ladies.

"Wait a second, something seems a bit off here." Gary held a finger to his chin as he glanced at Misty and Brock. "Both of you were with Ash at the beach. Though now you're traveling with Ashley." He looked back towards Ash and seemed to stare intently at him. "I think I know what's going on here. It's so obvious!"

"I- It is?" Ash asked, visibly sweating. His rival wasn't stupid, and could likely put two and two together with this. It was only a matter of time before it happened, but he had hoped it would have been longer than this. "What's obvious?"

"That these two finally wised up and ditched Ash upon realizing he wasn't going anywhere. Last I heard he was lagging behind me so bad that he probably just gave up and went back home." Gary tsked in mock disappointment. "Some people just aren't cut out to be trainers."

Ash and the group just stared at the other boy for a moment, not having expected such an out of left field conclusion. After a moment, what he said fully registered, and feeling indignant by it, Ash's fists clenched and unclenched at his side. He was about to open his mouth to say something when Misty placed a hand on his shoulder and held a finger to her lips. If the blond said anything now in anger, he'd likely blow his cover.

"Well I gotta go. The Safari Zone was a nice detour, but I got more important things to deal with. Ciao people, and if you manage to see Ashy Boy again, give him my regards. Tell him to not worry, and that I'll definitely bring fame to Pallet Town." With that, the car zoomed off down the pathway, Gary laughing as his cheerleaders chanted his name.

Brock couldn't help but shake his head at this. "That kid is way too far up his own-"

"Okay! Enough of this nonsense about Gary!" Ash yelled out as he quickly proceeded to stomp towards the Safari Zone. It was clear that the confrontation had managed to chafe his pride, and the fact that he couldn't really say anything also didn't help matters much. "I'll tell him the truth eventually, and when I do, I'm going to laugh at his expression! That smug mug of his will be no more. Right Pikachu?"

"Chu!" Pikachu nodded back.

"But don't you think that you'd be too busy being embarrassed that he knows to actually laugh?" Misty supplied. "I mean, think about it. The one person that you've considered to be your greatest rival for so long learning the most embarrassing secret you could be hiding? That could backfi-mmph!" Misty was prevented from saying any more thanks to Brock placing his hand over her mouth and shaking his head.

Clenching his teeth for a moment, Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was no use getting riled up and worried about this. He'd deal with it later when the time came. If anything, he could talk to Erika about it and see if she had some advice on the issue. The important thing now was the Safari Zone and Pokemon.

"I don't care about Gary!" He shouted. "He ain't being trained by a Gym Leader, so he ain't gonna be anywhere near my league when we finally face each other. This is a fact, and I could scream it into the heavens!"

Before he could even get the chance to, however, the door to a nearby building abruptly slammed open. Within the frame stood a tall, middle-aged man with short, greyed hair. "THAT'S ENOUGH SCREAMING YOU BRATS!"

The sudden scream of anger caused the group to shout and jump back, Pikachu's cheeks sparking in surprise and ready to react if he needed to. The man before them was dressed like someone out of a typical western. Though the unnerving thing was the pair of gun holsters that the guy had at his hips. He was definitely packing some heat, and they suddenly remembered Gary's warning about him. It didn't help that his hand was resting on the handle of one of the guns, either.

Taking a moment to collect his bearings, Ash took a step forward and gave the man an apologetic bow. Perhaps now was the best time to remember Erika's teachings and advice in defusing situations like this. "I apologize about being loud, sir. I was too caught up in a moment of excitement and let myself get louder than I should have. Please forgive my transgressions."

"Kachu." Pikachu gave a bow as well, following his trainer's lead. Behind them, Misty and Brock could only share a look of surprise.

The man's hard expression softened, but just a little. "Well," he began as he removed his hand from his gun, "it's good to know that some kids these days know how to be humble and realize when they were in the wrong; unlike certain others who were just here." A visible grimace flashed across his features as he thought about the cocky kid and his cheerleaders. "I'm Kaiser, the warden of the Safari Zone."

"I'm Ashley Ketchum. I'm a student of Erika of the Celadon Gym. This is Pikachu, and this is Budew." He motions towards both Pokemon, who greet Kaiser back.

"I'm Misty." Misty waved nervously, sticking behind Ash.

"And I'm Brock."

"Erika of the Celadon Gym, huh? Respectable lady." Kaiser stared at Ash for a moment as if scrutinizing him. "Well, whatever, come on in." He turned around and disappeared into the building, allowing the group to follow him in.

The inside of the building had a typical office feel to it. Smooth, white walls and wood panel flooring that appeared clean and well kept. There was a bulletin board on the wall, and in the corner rested a small purple couch. Lining the upper walls surrounding the office were photographs of what could only be assumed to be former visitors to the area posing with Pokemon.

Ash took a moment to tap his foot against the hardwood flooring as they placed their bags on the sofa. Pikachu quickly hopped up onto it and proceeded to communicate a bit with Budew. The latter gave a few quick bounces on the couch, giggling.

Kaiser, meanwhile, rummaged around behind his counter in silence for a moment. Eventually, he stood back up and set a bucket of green-colored Pokeballs and a fishing rod on top of the surface.

"Ah, those are Safari Balls, and a rod?" Ash asked, staring at the bucket. A movement out of the corner of his eye alerted him, and he glanced up to see the Safari warden pull out his gun and give a stern, no nonsense glare towards him and his friends. "Err-"

"The rules here are simple, young lady. The only things that you can can use here are these Safari Balls and rod. If you break the rules, my Thunderbolt will burn you guys."

"By Thunderbolt," Ash let out nervously, "you don't mean…"

"I think you know exactly what I mean." Kaiser proceeded to place the gun back into the holster. "But hopefully we won't have to reach that point, yes?"

Ash gives a quick nod. Hopefully those guns were simply for show, and he wasn't really someone who would shoot at a bunch of kids. He was distracted from his musings, however, by Misty, who had pulled down one of the images from the wall to get a better look at it. Upon hearing her mention that there was a Dratini in the image, the blond quickly made his way over to have a look as well

The photo was definitely old, and showed a younger Kaiser posing with what was definitely a Dratini. Ash's curiosity was piqued upon hearing Brock mention that there were rumors of Dratini in the Safari Zone. The discussion was short-lived, however, as Kaiser ran over in a panic and swiped the entire portrait from Misty.

"There is no Dratini here!" The older man shouted, holding the portrait protectively to his chest. Ash could feel the man's aura spike with a feeling of what he thought was panic mixed with stress. Though he couldn't be fully sure since he was still attempting to figure this out.

"But there used to be?" Ash asked, hoping that was the right thing to ask, because he really did not want a gun pointed at him.

Kaiser gave him a long look, as if figuring out to respond. "Yes" He finally answered before turning around and stomping off through a door. This left the group to release a tense sigh they didn't know they were holding.

"I thought he was going to pull his gun out for a moment." Misty muttered softly

Brock glanced at both of his companions. "You think there's more behind this?"

"His Aura felt kinda suspicious. Like he was hiding something." Ash answered, looking between the two, who suddenly remembered that their friend could do that. "So maybe there still is a Dratini." If there was, he definitely wanted to see it. "Think Prof. Oak knows something?" He made his way over to the video phone.

Sure enough, the professor had explained to them that Kaiser was an old friend of his, and it had been about 30 years prior where he had discovered a Dratini in the Safari Zone. Tragically, word had gotten out, and countless trainers had arrived from all over to try and capture one, resulting in the reserve nearly being left in ruins. The Dratini, meanwhile, was never seen again.

"That's depressing." Misty softly whispered with a frown.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, but it's still gotta be out there if nobody found it, right? I wanna see it." Though after 30 years, would it still be around?

"I do too!" Misty seemed enthusiastic about it.

"So I do." Brock added.

ooooooooo

The large, heavy wooden gates swung open with a loud creek, revealing the vast interior of the Safari Zone. Kaiser, having managed to calm down from earlier, stood to the side of the entrance and turned his attention to the group of visitors. Unlike the previous group that he had dealt with just a little while ago, this one seemed to be at least a little more respectful, and even far less obnoxious.

As with all visitors to the Safari Zone, he had asked them to leave their belongings back in the office. It made it easier to manage things so people don't start causing problems with their own belongings. As for the blond kid's Pokemon? Well, he eventually conceded in letting her keep the Pikachu with them, but that's where he drew the line.

As for the Budew? It initially didn't want to go into its ball, and wanted to stick to the Ashley girl, which Kaiser had to admit was rather touching. The girl had managed to convince Budew to get into the ball after telling it she'd let it right back out once done. Though huffy, the tiny bud Pokemon had conceded. He almost felt kinda bad about that.. almost.

"Come back as soon as you use up the Safari Balls." He nodded as the group gave off a unified 'okay' as they made their way on into the reserve. He watched them walk off for a few before turning around and heading back inside. Hopefully things would go just fine for them.

After a moment of walking in silence, Ash finally couldn't contain himself. "Oh man, I wonder what I'll catch. I know there's a lot of rare stuff here." He was positively bouncing on his feet as he looked around the place and taking in the surroundings.

"Make sure you watch where you're going, Ash." Misty warned, watching the blond bounce about. "You could end up tripping over something."

"Oh you're worrying too much." Ash waved a hand in her direction and rolled his eyes. "I'll be perfectly fine. There's nothing out here to- whoa!" He proceeded to trip right into and over a bush, crashing into the ground on the other side.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu ran over quickly to make sure his partner was alright.

"I warned you~" Misty sing-songed with a hint of satisfaction in her voice as she walked over, shaking her head. "But nobody ever listens to Misty."

"You okay Ash?" Brock made his way around the bush.

Ash let out a groan as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, but I think I found something." He had definitely stumbled through a bush, but the thing that he had actually tripped over was on the other side.

Brock was the first to speak. "It's a Tauros?"

Sure enough, it was indeed a Tauros. The wild bull Pokemon tried to look away from them as it laid on the ground, though it spared them all a glance from time to time. Its face attempted to look impassive and tough, but a wince would flash across its features from time to time. Its aura was tinged with a touch of nervousness.

"... I think it's hurt." Ash's eyes traveled down the Pokemon until they rested on one of the creature's legs, where he could feel what seemed like a weaker connection of Aura. "Its leg!"

Startled at being found out, and suffering a bit of wounding to its pride at being seen as weak, the Tauros attempted to get up quickly to try and show it wasn't weakened. However, in putting pressure on its back leg, it let out a pained shout and crumpled back to the ground.

"Hey, take it easy! You'll hurt yourself some more." Brock placed a comforting hand on the Tauros to steady it.

Misty nodded. "Yeah, you're in no condition to move around. We should go get the warden." She turned to look at Ash, but noticed the blonde was missing. "Wait, where'd Ash go?"

"Chu!" Pikachu pointed towards the trainer in question, who seemed to be picking a few things off the ground a distance away. Before anybody could ask, he returned with a few sticks, which he started to place around the Tauros' leg. Reaching into one of his pockets, he pulled out a small roll of bandages and proceeded to wrap the branches firmly in place.

Misty and Brock could only watch the blonde work until the former broke the silence. "I didn't think you knew how to do something like that, Ash."

"The Celadon Gym provides classes on survival and first aid." He answered as he worked. The Tauros couldn't help but stare at him as he did, glancing between the blond and the leg. "I don't think the leg is broken, but it'll need to take it easy for a little while." Finishing, he stood up and took a step back, flashing a large grin to the Tauros. "There we go!"

Taking a moment to compose itself, the Tauros attempted to get back up. He winced again, but the makeshift splint kept his leg stable. Glancing down at the leg, he then turned its attention back to Ash.

He had been dealing with a rather bad day for the most part, having injured its leg and left behind by the others of his herd. If not for the fact that the leader of the herd was angry with him, then the others would have likely stayed to help.

Then this human, who he assumed was a trainer, happened by. Not wanting to appear weakened so they could capture him, he had tried to keep the attention away from his leg. The plan didn't go as he had hoped, though to his surprise, the human actually took the time to help instead of capture. He also couldn't help but feel a bit… safe next to the human. It was rather weird.

"See? You made it! Before long, you'll be able to go back to running." He would have used a potion, but the majority of their supplies were back at the cabin. He could have also tried to capture it, but in the state it was in, it probably would have put up a huge fight and gotten more hurt.

Ash was soon surprised, however, by the Tauros bumping gently into him and giving him a nuzzle. "Haha, hey, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?" He had figured the Tauros would have tried to leave.

Letting out a blast of air from its nose, the Tauros motioned to itself, and then towards the bucket of Safari Balls.

"I think it wants you to capture it, Ash." Brock observed, realizing that the blonde had managed to capture the bull Pokemon by helping it in its time of need.

Ash's eyes widened. "Wait, really?!" He had just captured a Pokemon that easily? All he had done was help it with its leg. "Awesome!" He shouted in excitement as he picked up a Safari Ball. "Welcome to the team, Tauros. Don't worry about your leg. We'll get it fully treated when we get out of here!" He tapped Tauros with the ball, and the Pokemon was soon pulled in.

"Alright! This Safari Zone adventure is really looking up! I can't wait to capture more Pokemon!" He proceeded to pose, giving another toothy grin and a victory sign. Nothing could go wrong to spoil this!

ooooooooo

"Why is everything going so wrooooooooong." Ash whined in defeat as he and the group sat down next to the waterside. After catching the Tauros, the group had attempted to capture other Pokemon in the area. Needless to say, they had absolutely no luck at all with what they were doing. He watched a herd of Tauros stampede on by a few feet away.

"I think I blame you for this, Ash. I don't know how, but it has to be your fault." Misty grumbled as she pulled out the fishing rod, ignoring her friend's glare. "But since we're by the water, let's do some fishing." She proceeded to pull out a small white box, which she promptly opened to show off a bunch of lures designed after various water Pokemon.

Ash tilted his head. "You snuck in a bunch of lures?" They already had bait to use.

"That's because I want to use the Misty Special." She held up a lure that was crafted in her exact likeness. "I'm going to catch them with this."

Ash crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow in response. "We want to catch Pokemon; not scare them away." The comment caused Misty to stick her tongue out at him.

"You'll see when I capture something amazing. No Pokemon could possibly resist my beautiful visage." She proceeded to toss the lure into the water, standing there in wait for a bite. She didn't have to wait long before she got one. "I got a bite!" She struggled. "I- It's a big one! Help!"

Ash and Brock rushed to her side, grabbing hold of her and the rod. It took a few tries, but they finally managed to succeed… pulling a massive Gyarados out of the water. They all gave a shout and fell backwards as the line snapped, and the giant water serpent dropped back down below the water and out of sight.

The water trainer could only stare at the water. "... why are there Gyarados here?" Her attention turned towards her rod. "My Misty Lure! I'm going to have to make another!"

Brock shook his head. A broken lure would be the least of one's worries when encountering a Gyarados.

"Nice try, but it's my turn now!" Ash grabbed his rod and tossed the lure with bait into the water. "Hey guys, wouldn't it be amazing if I actually managed to catch a Dratini?"

Misty rolled her eyes as she picked Pikachu up into her arms. "It's been 30 years, Ash. I don't think someone like you can just randomly fish up such a rare Pokemon with one cast."

Brock nodded in agreement. "Yeah, best to not get your hopes up."

"Aww c'mon. Just imagine how amazing it'd be, and imagine the look on Kaiser's face when he gets to see Dratini again after all this time!" There was a tug on his line, and he quickly began to reel it in. "But I guess you guys are right. It's been 30 years. The Dratini is probably long gone." With one final yank, he pulled his catch out of the water.

What followed next was complete and total silence. The three humans and electric rodent could only look on in disbelief at the sight before them. For what Ash had pulled out of the water, and what was still holding onto the line, was an honest to goodness Dratini.

The Dratini, for its part, stared back at them with an innocent look, giving a rather cute squeak. It wiggled a bit before leaping off of the line and landing on the ground before Ash, where it tilted its head and continued looking at the blond.

"It's… an actual Dratini." Ash fumbled with his hand in his pocket, pulling out his Pokedex and quickly pointing it at the Pokemon. He couldn't believe his eyes, and neither could Misty or Brock.

Pikachu, meanwhile, just made his way over to the Dratini and greeted it. The tiny dragon gave him a smile and a wave of its tail

" _ **Dratini, the Dragon Pokemon. It's also called The Mirage Pokemon because it is rarely seen that often. Dratini continuously sheds its skin in order to keep from building up tremendous energy that could otherwise become uncontrollable."**_

"I… guys, what should I do?!" He really wasn't sure. He wasn't even prepared for this. Would Kaiser appear from around the corner pointing his gun at them? Turning his attention back to the Dratini, he watched it slither closer to him.

"I don't know, Ash. Capture it? It's not every day you come across a dragon." Misty couldn't help but feel a little jealous of this turn of events. Her first try ended in a failure, but then Ash goes and hooks such a rare find right off the bat. "Or put it back into the water in case Kaiser gets furious."

"But should Kaiser really get angry at us?" Brock asked, glancing between the two quickly. "We haven't done anything wrong here, so it should be fine."

A familiar voice caused the group to stiffen. "What should be fine?" Turning, they could see Kaiser making his way towards them. "It's been a while, and I just got word from Fuchsia Gym's Koga that during his patrol of the outer fence, he came across a breach that was possibly made by a Pokemon breaking through. I decided to check up on you kids to make sure you were fine."

"Ah, yeah, we're fine! Nothing wrong here!" Misty shouted out as the trio stood before Dratini to keep it out of sight.

Ash nodded. "Yeah- wait, a breach in the gate? Is that okay?"

"It happens from time to time." Sometimes a Safari Pokemon would get bold and break out, or sometimes a Pokemon on the outside would break in. Fence maintenance tended to be a common thing. "But you three seem like you're hiding something. You wouldn't be up to any trouble now, would you?" His hand rested on his Thunderbolt, his expression hard and no-nonsense.

The trio tried to think up a good response, but they couldn't really come up with something on the spot, and figured it was probably best to admit defeat.

"W- well, you see," Ash began as he nervously rubbed his nose. "We got to fishing, right? Just minding our own business. Misty snagged a Gyarados, and then I decided to take a turn. I joked about hooking a Dratini, and… well…" As he was trying to explain, the Dratini had managed to slither its way up his body and onto his shoulder, sparing an innocent glance Kaiser's way. "It kinda happened."

Kaiser, for his part, was so shocked that his hand fell away from his Thunderbolt. "What- you kids- how. It should be in the Dragon's Valley! Not in some random water way!" He ran over and got close to the small serpentine dragon. "Dratini, do you remember me?" He came to a halt upon looking at the horn bump on its head. "Wait… you're not the Dratini I remember."

"It's not?" Brock asked. "How can you tell?"

"The one I remember had an x-shaped scar on its horn nub. This one doesn't." Could that mean what he thought it meant? "But why is it out here, and why is it so friendly with you?"

Before anybody else could say anything, the water in the pond burbled and exploded, allowing for a long, serpentine form to breach the surface. It was similar to Dratini, but longer with a pair of white wings on its head and a more pronounced horn, which was sporting an x-shaped scar. On its neck was a blue sphere.

The entire group was rendered speechless once again as Ash pointed his Pokedex at it.

" _ **Dragonair. Dragon Pokémon. Legendary Pokémon that can make rain or snow fall at its will. It can store an enormous amount of energy, as well as fly."**_

Misty just shook her head. "This can't be happening. I must be dreaming- ow!" She glared at Ash, who gave her an innocent look in return.

"Drati- Dragonair, is that you?" Kaiser asked, stepping forward. The two shared a long look before the dragon Pokemon leaned forward and allowed him to embrace it. "You've grown so well." He said, as tears started to flow down both his and the Dragonair's cheeks. "I had thought something had happened to you." He constantly blamed himself for that day long ago.

"So- um- what about the Dratini?" Ash asked, earning a sigh from Misty for 'ruining the mood.' "Why was it here?" He lifted up a hand to pet it. Pikachu resting on his other shoulder, leading to him realizing he was now lacking shoulder space. The Dratini gave a cute squeak.

Dragonair, pulling away from Kaiser, lowered its head and closed its eyes. A glow formed on its horn, and the group was able to pick up on its thoughts. ' _I would like for my child to know more than just this place. I've lived my whole life here, but would like for my child to be able to expand its horizons.'_ It turned its attention to Ash. ' _Would you please take care of my child?'_

"Err… why me?" Not that he was complaining or anything, but he was confused as to why and how.

' _I saw you help that Pokemon earlier, and I've been watching you since I felt you a few days ago. I feel that you are the best option available.'_ It wouldn't admit it, but its reasonings were also a bit on the selfish and prideful side. This human seemed to have an interesting ability, and maybe if its child tagged along, then it could become more powerful than most other Pokemon, especially Dragons. It couldn't help but giggle internally at the very idea of its own child getting so powerful.

Ash, unaware of the inner musings of this clearly majestic serpentine dragon, could only nod in response. His ego had been stroked at the mention of 'best option available', and the fact that this Dragonair seemed to think so highly of his ability. Needless to say, he was walking right on into it.

"Alright! I can do that." He reaches up and scritches the Dratini on the head. "Welcome to the team, little guy. I'll take real good care of you."

"Pika!"

"I just realized that I don't know that much about Dragon Pokemon nutrition and health." Brock muttered as he tapped his chin. This would prove a good opportunity to do some more studying.

"It's not a Water type, but it's close enough to one." Misty cooed as she rubbed the Dratini's head gently.

Kaiser, meanwhile, couldn't help but frown. "As touching as this is, and as happy as I am about finally meeting Dragonair again, I hope that none of you breath a word to the populace about just where you got the Dratini from." His hand rested on his Thunderbolt. "I don't want to have to deal with people coming here and tearing the place up again, got it?"

The group gave an uneasy laugh, still not sure if Kaiser would actually shoot or not. They did, however, agree to not tell anybody, except for Prof. Oak, about where the Dratini came from.

oooooooo

"Dew!" The cry was loud and abrupt, as Budew slammed right into Ash after being let out of his ball, clinging to the blond and worming his way into the trainer's arms.

Ash oofed as he held onto the bud Pokemon and laughed. "Hey, I told you I'd let you right out after I got back, didn't I?" Hopefully he didn't keep acting like this when it came to his Pokeball. It was enough that Pikachu didn't go into his Pokeball, but he didn't want things to get more complicated than that.

Budew gave a small pout, but eventually dropped it in favor of nuzzling against his trainer.

"You're spoiling him, you know?" Misty smirked. It was kind of funny to see Ash act like a doting parent with the young Pokemon, though she had to admit that she wished she had a young Pokemon of her own to cuddle and dote on.

"It ain't my fault." Ash lobbed. He had just finished contacting Prof. Oak. The researcher had been especially impressed and excited about the Dratini capture, and had praised the blonde on a job well done. He had also promised that he would keep the capture location a secret, so as to not potentially damage the environment.

"Koga just sent word to me that the breach to the fence seemed to be due to a rampaging Aggron." Kaiser announced, having just hung up the phone he was on. "Something to do with it getting into an altercation with a Scrafty."

"A Scrafty?" Misty asked, having vaguely heard of the Pokemon.

Kaiser nodded. "He witnessed both of them in battle. The Scrafty won, but ran away before he could do anything about it."

Recognition dawned in Ash's eyes. "I wonder if it's the same one I've met before." At everybody's questioning gaze, he continued. "I ran into one on the way to Saffron City. The day I caught Pinsir. Though I wonder what it'd be doing around here."

ooooooo

Feeling exhausted, Scrafty sighed as it reached the gate of the Safari Zone from the inside. It didn't know why it was having so much bad luck lately, and it couldn't believe it had to deal with a bloody stubborn Aagron that had chased him all the way to and through a fence. He eventually got it off his trail, but was soon lost in a new area. At least, that was until he had managed to catch sight of the blonde girl that he had been on the trail of for who knows how long. Due to a sudden case of tunnel vision, he had tried to charge towards her, only to be knocked off into the distance by a sudden herd of Tauros that ran right on through. When he had crashed back down to the ground, it was on top of a Scyther, who wasn't happy to be interrupted. It wasn't a fun time for him either!

Finally, though, after much trouble, he had reached the wooden gate and pushed it open. Slipping through the entrance, he was glad to finally be free of that place. His joy was a bit short-lived, however, as looking off into the distance, he could make out the sight of the blonde girl he was chasing after.

"Scraaaaaaaa…" He sighed out. He was too tired to chase after her for now, and proceeded to trudge on into the Safari Warden's building. There, he noticed the small purple sofa and walked over to it, collapsing on top of it and ignoring the surprised and questioning gaze of Kaiser himself. He just wanted to get a little rest.

Kaiser, for his part, noticed how tired and exhausted the Scrafty was. Deciding to let it rest, he pulled out a small blanket and placed it on the Pokemon, who was now fast asleep.

After such a long time, I finally managed to finish this chapter. I feel like I might have gotten a little rusty, or the feeling that I ended up rushing in areas. However, I managed to get it finished.

As for the Dragonair with telepathy? I figure that psychic, ghost, fairy, and dragon types would be the most common Pokemon with the ability to so so. Plus, considering all of the various Pokemon from the movies and anime that have displayed some form of telepathy/speech, it's not too far fetched. At the same time, though, I'm not fully sure if that was the best course of action to take. Apologies if that part seemed to end up feeling a bit forced, or that the Safari Zone portion as a whole came off seeming a bit rushed. I had a bunch of different scenarios in mind, but not everything was able to really make it in properly. In hindsight, I probably could have split this into two chapters.

I made a bit of a continuity error in a previous chapter that I didn't notice until now. When Gary and Ash met in the perfume shop, I forgot that Holiday at Aopulco/Beauty and the Beach had happened previously.

As for Scrafty? Well, he's definitely headstrong and determined.


End file.
